Unexpected Reunion
by WhovianTitanPotter
Summary: The Doctor and Rose are reunited in a sudden twist of events. Follow the journey of Rose Tyler as she makes her way back to the Doctor. Featuring all the Doctor's regeneration's at various points in the story. AU-Story; Pairings: The Doctor/Rose, Amy/Rory, River/Jack. Please Read & Review! :) [Chapter 12 is posted]
1. Reminiscing, Nostalgia, & Shock

**Hello to all. I'd like to start off by saying that I do not own Doctor Who or any of the characters created by BBC. However, as a fellow fanfiction writer said, if anyone has a spare Christopher Eccleston lying around, could you please send him my way? :D Okay, anyways, I love Rose Tyler very much, and everything she meant for the Doctor. I honestly don't believe that he would ever forget her, and I have watched all the series featuring Doctors 9-11, including a few from before the 9th Doctor. I'm not sure when in the timeline of Doctor Who this fanfiction will land, but as the 10th Doctor said, timey-wimey stuff. If you don't like Rose Tyler, please don't waste your time telling me that. It's not really going to change my views on her, or what I think she meant for the Doctor.**

That said, if you read, please review :) I'd greatly appreciate it. I will hopefully continue this, but it depends greatly upon the readers and the responses I get. Thank you very much for your time. 

-  
The Doctor looked around and felt the emptiness of the Tardis engulf him. It wasn't a logical feeling to have, considering everything he had lived through, but he had simply become accustomed to having somebody there. He sat down, placed his head in his hands and let his thoughts take over, emitting a sigh in the process.

In response to his soft sigh, the Tardis hummed softly, as if to comfort him. She was currently floating in space, without coordinates; moving in a manner consistent with gentle rocking.

The Ponds had taken a temporary break from traveling with him and had gone on vacation-a vacation where they were not going to be in danger of getting killed, captured, or anything similar. He smiled fondly at the thought of them, and where they were at the moment. Amy had wanted to take a vacation somewhere sunny and worry-free, in which Rory suggested a trip to either Quintana Roo or Bora Bora. They had then agreed to phone the Doctor as soon as they were ready to travel with him once more.

The Tardis suddenly stopped rocking and humming, as if on alert. Without giving the Doctor a chance to make a single move, she locked onto specific (unknown to the Doctor) coordinates which caused him to hold on for dear life. "What are you doing?!" he asked, as he held on to the nearest railing. He hadn't felt so out of control since the occasion in which the Titanic crashed into him during his previous reincarnation.

The Tardis suddenly stopped and began humming again. Considering she had stopped without warning, he toppled over. The Doctor stood up slowly and looked at his beautiful machine with a confused look that didn't often appear on his face.

He walked over to the door, and opened it; unsure of what he was going to find. Sunlight flooded his face and he took a moment to adjust his eyes, and when he did, a beach was drawn into focus. He looked around quickly and didn't see anybody within the perimeter of his vision. He ran back into the Tardis, closing the door behind him, and looked at his screen, searching for his location. The screen read: Earth. Cardiff. 2012.

He stood there for a moment, solid as a rock. Why would the Tardis bring him here, out of all places?

"Do you miss her too?" he muttered at his Tardis. She hummed once, as if responding to him. He slightly shook his head and stepped outside again. He didn't quite understand why the Tardis had brought him here, considering he had visited many other places with Rose during his 9th and 10th reincarnations. He stood there silently, just feeling the breeze and taking in the salt-water smell. Closing his eyes, he remembered that day where he left his precious Rose with the copy of his 10th reincarnation. He sincerely wished she was leading a happy life with her Doctor.

Suddenly, he heard something to the left of him, on the other side of the Tardis. He rushed over to the Tardis, and just like a child, slowly peeked around it. All he could make out in the distance was long blonde hair. His brain began working rapidly, and he said to the Tardis, "This isn't fair! Why are you doing this? Can't you see how much it's hurting me, thinking about her and not being able to see or touch her?"

He shook his head, and slid down the side of the Tardis, saddened. He tilted his head to the side, to get a better look at the woman with the blonde hair. He had to stop assuming that every blonde was possibly his Rose. The woman, far off in the distance, was walking slowly back and forth, allowing her arms to swing slightly. She began moving closer to the Tardis, and stopped. He saw her cover her face with her hands, and shake her head back and forth. The Doctor got up slowly, and entered the Tardis.

"Come on old girl, let's get out of here. Its enough feeling nostalgic about Amy and Rory not being here... I don't need to feel even more nostalgic about not having Rose Tyler.", he said softly, patting the Tardis in an affectionate manner. He began punching in new coordinates, when suddenly, there came a knock on the Tardis door. The Doctor looked around, surprised by the knock. Nobody had done that in a very long time, so long in fact, that he couldn't even remember it.

Again, he approached the door slowly, and opened it. The sight in front of him was so unexpected, he fell backwards, as his mouth remained in a surprised fashion.

"No...it can't be..." he said softly.


	2. Dancing, Aprons, & Still Not Ginger

**Thank you to those who reviewed! I'm sorry that I can't update daily as others do but I'm not the world's best creative writer and I suffer writers block almost every hour. Pathetic, right? Maybe the Tardis will pick me up and open my brain up a bit. Ha. Any who, here's the next chapter. As always, I do not own Doctor Who, its characters, or anything invented by BBC's fantastic writers. However, I do own two Tardis' (a Plush toy & a lovely mug).**

**Note: If you want to hear "Moonlight Serenade" by Frank Sinatra and Glenn Miller's Orchestra (which is what they dance to) or see the aprons that came into my mind, please click on my link. It will direct you to my tumblr where I will have posted the four images as well as the music. I do apologize in advanced. You may have to scroll down a bit to get to the images and music. I did the biggest mistake: GOING ON TUMBLR! D: It is so distracting, as many of you have already figured out. However, since fanfiction won't let me post the entire link for my tumblr directly on the fic, I will post it up on my profile page.**

**R&R :)**

* * *

_"No...it can't be..." he said softly._

* * *

Never had The Doctor experienced such an emotional shock that could cause him; the last of the Time Lords, to faint. This, however, did the job quite throughly.

The young woman, by the name of Rose Tyler, gasped and immediately went to his side. "'Ello, I've missed you", she said, as she looked around at the Tardis. The door shut by itself, and the lights slightly dimmed.

The Doctor remained unconscious for a few minutes, and finally opened his eyes. His first thought when he saw Rose was that this had to be some memory that had been locked away until this moment. He stayed silent for a moment, afraid that any sudden movement on his behalf would cause the memory to recede back into his subconscious mind. He looked at her, and the young woman said quietly; almost shy, "Doctor?..." He simply gave a small nod, too shocked for words. "You look different, still handsome as ever though", she said, with a small laugh. Rose extended her hand out towards him in her attempt to help him up, and gasped slightly at the moment their hands touched.

"It seems that regardless of how many times I regenerate, you will never be a stranger to me, Rose Tyler..", the Doctor said with a small smile as he stood up. She smiled back, tears swimming in her eyes.

They stood there for a moment; a moment that felt like an eternity, and without warning The Doctor pulled Rose into a tight hug. She wrapped her arms around him and breathed his wonderful scent in. She placed a hand softly on his neck, and another on his cheek, and muttered, "I can't believe this. I can't believe I found you... Or rather was given a vibe to return to Cardiff, especially after all that happened. How did you end up here?"

He placed a hand over hers, and kissed her softly on her forehead. "The Tardis did it. One moment we were just floating about, and the next she brought me here.", the Doctor told her.

At that moment, the Tardis put on _Moonlight Serenade_. They both listened intently, and after a bit, Rose pulled away slightly, smiled her usual smile; a sight the Doctor had missed for a long time, and asked, "Isn't this the song we danced to that time we saved Jack after he took the bomb off into space?"

"Yes! It is the same song!", said the Doctor excitedly. "I still have some moves. It's been a while, but I'm sure they're still there.", he added as an afterthought.

Rose laughed and said, "Let's see them then!" and with that began to move them in unison. The Doctor echoed her laugh and put his left hand on her waist, while taking her other hand in his right, pulled her close to him once more, and resumed dancing with high spirits.

_I stand at your gate and the song that I sing is of moonlight._

_I stand and I wait for the touch of your hand in the June night._

_The roses are sighing a Moonlight Serenade._

He twirled her slowly around the Tardis, as she leaned her head in and wrapped her hand around his neck, their cheeks touching at this point. Rose sighed quietly, feeling happier than she had felt in a long time.

_The stars are aglow and tonight how their light sets me dreaming._

_My love, do you know that your eyes are like stars brightly beaming?_

_I bring you and sing you a Moonlight Serenade._

They stopped twirling and merely moved in unison to the music echoing around the Tardis, enjoying themselves, as they looked into each others eyes.

_Let us stray till break of day_

_in love's valley of dreams._

_Just you and I, a summer sky,_

_a heavenly breeze kissing the trees._

The Doctor leaned down, without taking his gaze off her, and placed his forehead on hers, while their lips came into close proximity of one another. As they moved in rhythm to the song, the Tardis took it into her own hands to lower the lighting to match the lyrics.

_ So don't let me wait, come to me tenderly in the June night._

_I stand at your gate and I sing you a song in the moonlight,_

_a love song, my darling, a Moonlight Serenade._

Those three and half minutes in which they danced felt just like what they imagined forever could be. As the song began to end, Rose pondered whether to do the very action that was running through her mind. '_Should I? What if he rejects it? What if he is simply dancing with me for the sake of things? Pull yourself together Rose Tyler! You've traveled all this way. You were separated from him not only once, nor twice, nor three times, but four times! Just Do It!'_

With those last thoughts, she lost all hesitation and kissed the Doctor, softly and sweetly.

The Doctor, who had not been expecting the kiss, opened his eyes but a fraction of a second later closed them again, let go of her hand, and wrapped his arms around her. He knew they had a lot to talk about which included everything that had happened since they were last separated in the parallel world…where he had left her with the Meta-Crisis Doctor. He was delighted to have her in his arms, to have his lips upon hers after all this time, but he couldn't help but wonder if her feelings were still the same, or if they had changed.

The music had ceased at this point, and they slowly pulled away. As Rose leaned back, the Doctor leaned in once more and kissed her a second time; softly tugging at her lower lip as he smiled. Leaning back, he remained quiet and simply smiled at Rose, his arms still around her. She smiled back and said with a chuckle, "Well, this was certainly an improvement from last time. Thanks."

He looked at her fondly and said in almost a whisper, "Anytime, love."

At that moment, the Tardis hummed softly. The Doctor suddenly jumped as he said, "Rose Tyler. Feels nice to say that again. As I was saying though, I haven't offered you anything to drink. Ever since the Ponds began traveling with me, the kitchen has actually had food and drinks that are up to date. I've allowed this place to become domestic". He shuddered jokingly at these words.

She grinned and said to the Doctor, "Rude and still not ginger, eh?". After sharing a laugh, Rose said to the Tardis, "Lets see then. Where is the kitchen this time ol' girl?" The Doctor took her hand and linked his fingers with hers. Rose looked down and smiled at the familiar feeling, "Ya know, you may have regenerated with a new bow-tie, but our hands still know each other.", she said. The Doctor grinned and pressed his lips upon her hand as led her down the passage that materialized in front of them. They passed about seven doors, including one that had the painting of a single red rose on it. At this point, Rose wanted to stop and see what the room was, but the Doctor gently tugged at her hand and kept walking until they stopped, as a new door appeared. The Doctor opened the door, and signaled Rose to step inside.

As her eyes adjusted to the lighting, the first thing she noticed were three hooks, each with an apron on it. The one on the left was Tardis blue and had a very elaborate "D" which she assumed stood for Doctor. The middle one had the image of a Duck, while the last one had the image of Roman-era armor. Rose let go of the Doctor's hand as she walked over to the aprons. She looked at the last two aprons, as her forehead wrinkled in slight confusion. "Doctor… why .." she began to ask, signaling towards the two aprons. The Doctor took a seat on one of the chairs that were in the kitchen. "Oh! Well the first one is Amy's. Sort of a joke, really. Her last name is Pond, and well ducks live in ponds…", he trailed off with a slight laugh and resumed, "the last one is Rory's. He spent some time as a Roman and Amy thought it would be funny to put that on his apron. Not that he really uses it much. The Tardis doesn't trust me or Rory in the kitchen for some reason… It's not our fault the pancakes exploded."

Rose laughed at the two explanations he gave her for the aprons and stayed silent. She slightly jumped when the Doctor stood up without warning and went to a nearby drawer. He pulled out a folded item, and showed it to Rose. She took it from his hands and gently unfolded it; it was a kitchen apron with the picture of a red rose on the front. "The Tardis had this set aside for you, but never showed it to me until today.", he said, looking down at her. Rose smiled softly and looked up from the apron, to see that a fourth hook had appeared; this time to the left of the Doctor's apron. She hung up the apron, and as soon as she turned around again, was surprised by the Doctor's crushing, yet gentle, hug.

At that moment, a phone began ringing across the Tardis. Rose glanced up, and looked around slightly alarmed. "The phone is ringing!" she exclaimed. "Yes, that is probably Amy and Rory. I better answer the phone before Amy kills me. Come along!", the Doctor said, as he began running out of the kitchen and into the Tardis control room. The phone was in its 4th ring when the Doctor finally answered it.

"You should really consider installing an answering machine!", exclaimed the slightly annoyed voice belonging to Amy Pond. "Sorry. I got caught up in something. Is your vacation over already?", the Doctor spoke into the phone. After a few moments of silence followed before the Doctor replied, "Right. I'll be on my way shortly. Just don't let Rory get killed by anything."

Rose looked at the Doctor and slightly raised her eyebrow. "Just -er- hang on. You know the drill. You're going to get to meet Amy and Rory. Amy might be a bit of a handful at first and a little intimidating, but don't worry. As for Rory, well, he's Rory. You'll like him.", he said to her, as he ran around the Tardis and set the coordinates.

As the Tardis began to move through space and time, Rose laughed in sheer delight. It had been much too long since she had properly experienced this. As she laughed, the Doctor gave her a wide smile and winked. After a minute or so, the Tardis stopped. Rose let go of the Tardis' handle and took a seat to the side of the Tardis. The Tardis door opened after a few seconds, and Amy came running in and flung her arms around the Doctor.

"Did you stay out of mischief?", she asked, with a grin. "Of course I did. Well sort of anyways. Where's Rory?", the Doctor asked.

"He's getting our suitcases, of course.", Amy replied, still oblivious to the fact that Rose was sitting on the side. As she finished her sentence, a second voice came through the Tardis door, "A little help here?"

The Doctor chuckled as he went over to help Rory, "You two sure know how to pack lightly." "In my defense, I never know when I will be near a clothing store while we're out on other planets. They don't always have my size!", exclaimed Amy, as she took her light coat off and put it to the side.

As Rory closed the Tardis door, his eyes landed on Rose, who has half-hidden in a chair. "Doctor?", he called out. At that moment Amy turned around properly and saw Rose. Her expression was unreadable as she crossed the length of the Tardis towards Rose. Upon reaching her, Amy took a seat; extended a hand, and said, "Hi! I'm Amy. Who are you?" Rose gave Amy a small smile, unsure of what the Doctor might have told Amy; if anything, shook her hand and said, "Rose. Rose Tyler."

At those words, Amy turned around and looked at the Doctor with a very surprised expression, as Rory's mouth opened in slight shock.


	3. The Swamping of Rose Tyler

**Thank you to all who have 'favorite'd and followed my story and myself. It's nice knowing there's people who do come across my story and read it. I apologize again that I can not update as often as other fan-fiction writers. I admire those who can update daily or weekly, since it is something that is beyond my own grasp. I'm going abroad to Wales in January and I hope I will get some new ideas there, considering Cardiff is the main home of Doctor Who. As always, I do not own Doctor Who, nor any characters. I do own Series 1 through 4 plus the Specials, a plush Tardis, a Dalek poster, and a Tardis mug. **If anyone would like to see pictures of Rose's bedroom in the Tardis just let me know and I would be more than happy to show you.****

**Without further ado, Chapter 3!**

_Chapter 2 Excerpt: _

_Rose gave Amy a small smile, unsure of what the Doctor might have told Amy; if anything, shook her hand and said, "Rose. Rose Tyler."  
At those words, Amy turned around and looked at the Doctor with a very surprised expression, as Rory's mouth opened in slight shock._

* * *

Amy and Rory looked at the Doctor; their faces expressing pure shock, but quickly recomposed themselves and smiled at Rose. The Doctor remained silent as he slowly stepped away from the close proximity he found himself from Amy. Rory didn't scare him; in fact the only reason Rory had ever punched him was because he had said that Amy wasn't the most important thing in the universe, but that was a different story. Amy would ultimately demand to know why they barely knew anything about Rose, why he was so secretive regarding his affections towards Rose, and above all, why he had kept her room intact and had forbad anyone from ever going in.

'Hi Rose, I'm Amelia Pond; but everyone just calls me Amy. It's nice to finally meet you", the grinning red-head said to Rose. Amy turned her head towards Rory who extended his hand towards Rose and said, "Hi Rose. I'm Rory. Wow, … I never thought we'd actually get to meet you.". He looked over at the Doctor with a grin and leaned on the balls and heels of his feet.

Rose smiled, "I never though I'd get to be in the Tardis again, much less see him again…" She trailed off and looked over towards the Doctor.

"Doctor, you have some explaining to do!", Amy said to him; eye-brow raised.

"Right… Just give me a moment… I have to… go… check the…. the… Rory come with me please!", the Doctor said rather hurriedly as he bolted from the room.

Rose and Amy shook their heads as Rory gave them an apologetic look and ran after the Doctor.

They walked towards the kitchen where Amy noticed the newest addition to their apron collection. "Looks like the Tardis was waiting for you Rose!", she said with a grin as she pulled out two soft burgundy-colored chairs. The blonde woman chuckled softly, "The Doctor hasn't changed much from what I've noticed. At least not in the way he behaved with me. Would you like a cuppa?"

Amy nodded, "What flavors does the Tardis carry?", as she stood up and searched the cabinets for mugs. "Good question! I never really bothered looking since she always had my usual out and ready. What flavor do you prefer?", Rose asked, as she looked over her shoulder at Amy.

"I think Green Tea would be perfect!" she replied back as she brought out two mugs; each decorated with a red "A" and a pink "R". On the other side of the kitchen, Rose brought down a box she found that had the largest variety of tea bags she had ever seen, including some in a language she recognize as coming from a different planet. _Thanks ol' girl for everythin'_, Rose thought, as she poured water into the tea-pot and set it on the heater.

About a minute later, the two women were sitting comfortably on the chairs sipping their tea. "So Rose, how long have you known the Doctor?", Amy asked her as she looked at her with an intense stare. Amy was known to do that, especially when trying to figure out something.

"Well, lets see… I met the Doctor during his 9th reincarnation. I was 19 back then, just working in a shop. He was looking for the Autons that had hidden in the department store. His first word to me was 'Run'…", she trailed off for a moment; lost in thought. She slightly shook her head, as if to clear it, and continued, "He and I went on a series of adventures to all sorts of places, and during one of those events, we were corned by Daleks on an abandoned space game station, also known as Satellite 5. He sent me away for my own good in the Tardis, but I looked into the heart of the Tardis and that's where Bad Wolf was born."

"How is it that he regenerated into his 10th form?", ask an intrigued Amy. She made a mental note to hit the Doctor in one way or another for not telling her anything about this.

"He kissed the Vortex out of me and absorbed it himself… It was killin' me since humans weren't supposed to see into the heart of the Tardis. It was even lethal for Time Lords, and well after a short period, he regenerated right in front of me. It took me a while to trust him, and during that same moment, he fell into a coma of sorts. Do you remember the Christmas Invasion a few years ago with the satellite and people walking towards the edges of buildings and such?"

Amy nodded and beckoned her to keep talking. "Right, well for a while there I thought we were all goners since the Doctor was in that state. He came around, he did, and saved us again. From there on it was more adventures, until the Cybermen took over in Pete's world." Amy gave her a confused look and Rose clarified, "In this universe, my dad Pete was dead, and when we accidentally landed in the parallel universe, I discovered my dad was still alive, and well we ended up calling it Pete's world… Have you encountered the Cybermen?"

Amy gave her another nod and refilled her cup with more tea. "Well we fought 'em and my ex-boyfriend Mickey stayed behind to help them in that world. I came back to this dimension and everything was fine for a while. That is, until the Cybermen came back but this time they weren't alone. The Daleks also arrived. I know, a bit strange. Mickey, Pete, and others from the other dimension came back and we all fought em. My mum decided she was going to go back with Pete, and the Doctor wanted to do the same and send me back to that dimension where I'd be safe. Of course, I didn't want to leave him. I had promised him I'd stay with him forever, as we should be. I jumped the void again with a teleporter Torchwood had engineered and tried helpin' the Doctor. Something went wrong with the levers we were using to suck the Cybermen and the Daleks into the void and in a matter of seconds I slipped and was almost pulled into it myself, but Pete saved me. At that moment though the teleporters we used to travel between the dimensions were broken and I was stuck in the other parallel world. Those were the worst moments of my life… I had lost my Doctor. He found a way to speak to me again though, thanks to the connection I had with the Tardis. I told him I loved him, and before he was able to say anything other than my name, the connection got lost. After that, I helped Pete re-establish Torchwood and transformed it in that world. When the Davros' reality bomb went off, it weakened the walls that had been separating me from this dimension and that is how I managed to come back for periods of time and warn the Doctor and Donna about what was going to be happening. When the timelines became crossed and were changed due to a Time Beatle, I reappeared and helped restore it to prevent the Doctor's permanent death."

Rose trailed off and looked down at her mug. Just remembering how she had felt at the time made her eyes slightly wet. Amy extended her hand and placed it on Rose's arm, "I'm guessing this just the beginning?".

Rose laughed softly and nodded. She took a deep breath and continued, "When I teleported back into this dimension, I realized that it was invaded again by Daleks. At this point, I had been searching for the Doctor non-stop, and when we finally found each other, he was shot by a Dalek and mortally wounded. He began to regenerate, but he managed to hold it off by putting that energy into his severed hand he had placed in a jar from his first battle during the Christmas Invasion. Donna and the Doctor created the Meta-Crisis Doctor, basically a human-clone. After we saved the universe again, he decided to return me back to the parallel universe and have me stay with the clone-Doctor since he was in the same state as the Doctor had been when I first met him. The plan was for the Meta-Crisis Doctor and I to spend the rest of our lives together and grow old, but that didn't happen…"

At that moment the Doctor and Rory reappeared. "We've been looking for you two for ages! Didn't you hear us?", Rory asked. They stopped abruptly, realizing they had interrupted a conversation.

Amy and Rose shook their heads, while the Doctor simply looked at Rose. Amy stood up, looked at the watch on her slim. "Well I'm a bit tired, so I think we will be going to bed now." She looked at Rose in specific, smiled, and said, "We'll continue our talk later after we all get some rest. It's been a busy day."

Rose stood up and at that moment gave Amy a hug. "Goodnight Amy." As Amy was exiting the kitchen, she looked directly at the Doctor and said, "Don't think you've gotten away from my questioning!" Rory and Rose both laughed, and Rory said, "Goodnight Rose, Doctor. I'll leave you two alone. You have a lot of catching up to do."

Rose smiled and waved at the Ponds and then directed her gaze at the Doctor. Before she could say anything, he said, "Did Amy interrogate you?"

"Not really… She asked me how long I had known you and what happened that caused you and I to be separated for so long.", she said to him.

"Did I miss the part of how you managed to get into this universe?", he asked softly as he stepped towards her. She smiled and shook her head. I'll be finishing that up tomorrow. You're more than welcome to listen, unless you and Rory disappear again.". Without a single word, she closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around him, tightly, and kept them wrapped in a manner consistent with never wanting to let go. The Doctor smiled at the affecting and returned it instantly. "I know you're tired, so let me show you something."

He picked up bridal-style so she wouldn't have to unwrap her arms from him, and walked down the twisting corridor, until they appeared at the same door Rose had seen earlier. The door opened by itself, and as Rose adjusted her eyes to the room, realized it was _her _room. Although it had been years since she had been in there, there was not a single speck of dust anywhere. The walls were still the light purple, the queen-sized bed was a light pink; the pillows and comforter embroidered with a design in old Gallifreyan. The night stand was just as she had left it; books, a few unlit candles, and pictures. The floor had soft, thick, white carpet, while the windows gave her a glimpse into the garden and 'sky', which at the moment was flooded in stars. The Doctor set her down and she walked slowly into her room. "You kept this for me?", she asked softly, as she turned and looked at the Doctor. "Of course… Even if there was the possibility that you were never returning, at least I would have this. The only ones that have had a permanent room on the Tardis are the Ponds, and that's because they've been with me for so long, and are married." She smiled, and picked up the nearest picture frame on the dresser and laughed. It was a picture of her with the Doctor; in his 9th reincarnation, eating chips and laughing in the Tardis. She looked at the rest and came across one of her with the Doctor again; this time in his 10th reincarnation at a beach in the planet Barcelona.

She turned and grinned at him, "I'm so happy to be back with you. I just hope that when I wake up, I'm still here, and that this hasn't just been a dream."

The Doctor stayed silent for a moment, and slowly said, "I could stay with you tonight… if you'd like. If not then I understand…" His voice faltered, afraid that he might have gone too fast.

Rose smiled at him and said, "Yeah, I'd like that…" She yawned and noticed another door open on the other side of the room. She crossed the room and peeked into the room and noticed it was her bathroom. "I think I'll take a quick shower first, is that alright?". The Doctor grinned and nodded. "Don't worry, I'll be here."

She smiled and grabbed a set of silk pajamas from the drawers and went into the bathroom. About fifteen minutes later, she stepped out in her pajamas, with her hair slightly damp, despite having dried with the special towel the Tardis provided (the towel would dry one perfectly, yet never become damp itself). She smiled at the Doctor who had removed his shoes and had laid back on the edge of the bed with his eyes closed. He rarely slept full cycles as she did, which proved to be true when she made the slightest noise. He opened his eyes and leapt up with a sudden burst of energy. She set the towel on the rack and moved the pillows over so she could get into the bed. He ran his hand over his hair and said, "So… would you like me to grab a chair and stay with you?…"

Rose simply smiled and patted the spot next to her. The Doctor smiled and removed his jacket and bow-tie and slowly approached the bed. He laid down slowly and allowed Rose to lay her head on his arm, as he wrapped his free arm around her, engulfing her in his embrace. "Goodnight my Doctor. Don't run off...", Rose softly whispered as she gave him a tender kiss on the lips. "Goodnight Rose Tyler, I'll always be with you...", he whispered back, as he pressed his lips against her forehead and kept them there.

For the first time in years, the Doctor felt legitimately relaxed and worry-free. He would have time to save planets, and species, and every single thing out there, but at the moment, he wanted to just stay with his pink and yellow human -at least that's what he thought she was, he'd ask her later- and sleep. He let his eyes fully close and allowed himself to loose track of time, as the Tardis hummed in approval.

The story of how Rose Tyler came to be would continue, as soon as everyone had time to process what had occurred.


	4. Kitchen Mishaps

Chapter 4: The Kitchen Mishap

Rose awoke the next morning and quickly realized that the Doctor wasn't next to her.

She closed her eyes and stayed in bed, _It was such a wonderful dream… Why didn't I stay asleep and just dream of the Doctor. I had finally found him, I wonder if he knows I dream of him on occasion. It's strange though, now that I think of it… He looked different. How could I know if he has regenerated or not? _

At that moment, a knock came at the door. _It's probably Mum. Maybe I should just pretend to be asleep. _

She heard the door open and a voice say "Rose, are you awake?"

Rose opened her eyes and looked around quickly. _It wasn't a dream! _She looked at the smiling face of Amy Pond, nodded, and signaled her in. "Hi Amy."

"The Doctor wants you to come to the kitchen", the red-head said with a grin.

"Oh no, is the Doctor trying to cook again? I'm guessing that's why I awoke alone, right? I'm surprised he hasn't blown something up", Rose said with a laugh.

"You'd be surprised at all the stuff he can do without even trying… Want to bet he's broken something?" replied Amy as Rose put on her slippers.

Amy and Rose had begun walking when all of a sudden an alarm rang through the inside of the Tardis, bouncing off of every wall. They looked at each other in alarm and ran in the general direction of the kitchen, when all of a sudden they heard a '_**Yelp!**_'. They stopped in their tracks and saw the Doctor being flung out of the kitchen, followed by Rory.

"What did you do that for!", the Doctor bellowed as he looked up, "I was only trying to cook breakfast for everyone and be nice for once!"

"Not rude and not ginger?", said Rose with a snicker; "I don't think that's such a good idea for you Doctor".

Amy laughed, as she walked over to Rory.

She looked down at him and extended her hand towards him, "Did you try to cook too?"

Rory took her hand and said quickly, "No.. Of course not!… Okay, fine. Yes. We wanted to surprise you girls with breakfast… it didn't exactly work out"

"What was going to be on the breakfast menu Doctor", Amy asked him, as Rose helped him up. "No wait, let me guess. Fish fingers and custard?"

"How did you know?!" the Doctor said indignantly. "Please Doctor, that's all you eat!"

"No chips? I thought you liked chips", asked Rose, as her eyebrow rose while a grin spread across her face.

The Doctor replied slowly, "Well, I like them but fish fingers and custard are delectable!"

"Alright Rose, let's go see the damage. Hopefully it isn't too bad" said Amy, as she linked their arms.

"You two should probably go clean up", she added as an after-note, while looking at the Doctor and Rory over her shoulder.

Rose peeked her head in the smoking kitchen. "Oh this is just gross Amy! She held a hand up to cover her nose and mumbled, "I think he tried making it from scratch".

"Yep! Look at the book on the countertop. I don't think it survived the impact of whatever these men tried to do.", Amy pointed at a half burnt book.

Rose thought to the TARDIS, _Sorry old girl. Do you want me to get the Doctor out of here for a while you fix the kitchen up again? _

The TARDIS gave her a short and appreciative hum. As soon as the two women had exited the smoking kitchen, a thick metal door appeared which enclosed the kitchen.

Amy and Rose walked back to the main console room where the Doctor and Rory were sitting talking quietly. They stopped talking as soon as they saw them.

Rose said to them, "How about we go out for breakfast on the nearest planet? The Tardis will have to do some repairing to fix the mess you made. It'll take a few hours. But please Doctor, a place suitable for breakfast. No running just yet."

The Doctor muttered under his breath, "Fine. I suppose you lot have to eat."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, your superior Time Lord biological status makes it so you don't have to eat as often as we do, we've heard it before Doc." said Amy, with a slight hint of annoyance.

"Are you hungry Amy?" asked Rory.

"Why do you say that?", replied Amy, as she turned her head towards him.

"Well… uhh… you're a little mean when you're hungry", he said quietly as he slowly inched away from her.

Rose stifled a laugh and said, "That makes two of us then!".

"Hold on!", the Doctor said, as he ran around the console pushing buttons and levers. Moments later the TARDIS stopped moving, and the Doctor rushed to the doors and held them open.

"Welcome to the Diadem! This lovely planet is considered to be one of the most relaxing planets in the Mutter's Spiral. Of course, we've arrived before the Union, and plenty of time before my fifth self arrives. If we're here for a few hours, we should be fine."

Amy and Rory linked hands and walked out. The sky looked similar to that of Earth's; a deep shade of Turquoise, but with a special and unique shine, almost glittery, to it. Rose followed, and the Doctor stepped out after her.

She stopped and linked her arm with his and said, "Wow, you've really outdone yourself Doctor. It's gorgeous here."

The fields were lined with silver, and at the base stood a small village. In the far distance a lake was visible with the water a light shade of pink.

"Now let's go find some breakfast please", Amy said as she began to walk towards the small village.

Off they went into the village to find some breakfast. Perhaps the time would soon arrive in which Rose would tell him what happened, how she managed to find him again, and what exactly happened in Pete's World. That conversation was something to be handled delicately.

The Doctor interlinked his hand with hers and grinned at her as they followed Amy and Rory. He was just happy to finally have her back with him.


	5. The Story of the Bad Wolf

**Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who or the respective characters or actors. However if anyone wants to wrap them up and give them to me as a holiday gift, I'll be very happy! As always, I'd love it if you reviewed! Without any further ado, chapter fiveeeeee! **

* * *

As they walked around the village, the lingering question became more pronounced as a slight tint of awkwardness fell amongst the group of travelers.  
Amy looked at Rose, who was lost in thought, and upon catching her eyes gave a short curt nod that said _You should tell him_.  
Rose immediately stood up and walked towards a little shop filled with all sorts of jewelry. "Amy, would you like to come with me and take a look at these?"  
Amy took that as her signal to talk to Rose without arousing too much suspicion from the Doctor and Rory.

"Women", the Doctor said to Rory. "Always looking for an opportunity to do some shopping." They were immediately stopped by two guards that had appeared out of nowhere.

"Are you with the Bad Wolf?" one of them said in a professional manner.

"What?", replied the Doctor rather shocked. Nobody had mentioned the term 'Bad Wolf' since that dreaded day in which he was separated from Rose. "Are you with the Bad Wolf?", the second guard raised his eyebrow and repeated, enunciating each word carefully. The Doctor remained quiet for a second, "Uhh yes! We are both with the Bad Wolf."  
The guards scrutinized them carefully and finally said, "You may pass through."

As Amy and Rose walked into the shop, Amy gave a small cough and said, "So are you going to tell him what happened up and how you ended up here?". Rose nodded slowly, "Yeah, I suppose. I just don't know how to even start this conversation. So much has happened; so many painful things. I realize he has to know, but I don't know how he'll take it, you know? He can be so closed off at times, at least that's how his previous two selves were. I dunno about this one…"

Amy stayed silent for a moment and replied in a comforting tone, "He can still be like that, I think it's a part of him. Whatever the truth is, it will probably shock him to an extent, but at this point I don't think anything can be more shocking to him that when you reappeared."

Rose gave a small yet shaky laugh and looked over at Amy, "Yea, you're right."

Just then, Amy felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist and spun around, nearly punching Rory Williams. "Oi! It's just me Amy!", he shrieked jumping back. The Doctor swiftly appeared and began laughing at the scene that had unfolded in front of him. He walked over to Rose; unsure of what to do. Rose smiled shyly and reached for his hand which he gladly encased in his own.

The four of them walked around the small village and came across a small diner. "This looks like a good place to eat!", exclaimed the Doctor. He opened the door and allowed the three companions to enter before he went in. He realized at that moment that he was actually quite hungry. Sure, he always boasted about his superior physiology but he had to remember to eat. As if to confirm, his stomach rumbled with the strength and ferocity of a pack of lions. Bloody rapidly rushed to his cheeks, as the three companions turned their heads towards with; each of their faces etched with an incredulous look. "I thought Time-Lords didn't get hungry" teased Amy, as she poked his stomach. "Alright Pond, enough teasing. Let's just take a seat and eat! Mind you, I do hope they have fish fingers, custard, and banana's on the menu!", the Doctor replied.

Once they had taken a seat in a booth-like table and grabbed a few menu's from the holder, Rose directed her attention towards the Ponds and asked "Did you know that the Doctor once visited a planet covered in banana plantations?" "No! Did he blow it up?", Rory replied.

"Of course. He didn't mean to of course, but it happened. I think banana's in general aren't safe around this marshmallow", she replied with a hearty laugh. "If you two are done making fun of me, can we order now?" the Doctor grumbled.

A green female creature walked over to them with a wide smile and asked, "What can I get started for you loves?"  
The Doctor said quickly, "Please tell me you have banana milkshakes!"  
Their waitress smiled and replied, "Yes, would you like that Jumbo sized, with a side of banana's?" His eyes grew wide as saucers as he nodded numbly. Rose shook her head as she smiled and said to the waitress, "I'll just have a regular sized chocolate milkshake; no chocolate side for me yet." Amy and Rory looked at each other and nodded, "We'll take a berry milkshake; Jumbo sized. We aren't fussy about which type of berry is used either. Any is fine." The waitress finished jotting down their drink orders and walked away towards the kitchen.

After about ten minutes, the waitress returned balancing the two trays with the milkshakes on two tentacles that had sprouted from underneath her apron. Rose and Amy shook it off quickly after confused looks appeared.  
"Are you all ready to order your meals?", the waitress said with a smile, as the four of them shook their heads vigorously.  
"I'll take the closest thing you have to scrambled eggs", Rose replied with a grin. "I'll take the daily special; or whatever it is that you recommend the most", the Doctor said. Amy grimaced slightly and asked, "You wouldn't happen to have pancakes would you?". The waitress answered her question with a laugh, "Actually, we've had enough visitors asking for pancakes that resulted in us making them upon special request. How many would you like?"  
Amy grinned like a child, "Three please!" "Alright young man, what would you like?" the waitress said, turning her attention to Rory. "I think I'll get a mixture of what Rose and Amy are getting; pancakes and 'eggs'. I'm in the mood for something classic for breakfast", he said to the waitress. Their waitress nodded and said, "Okay! I'll be back in about fifteen minutes with the four orders!"

Once their waiting ended and they had obtained their food, the eating began. The waitress laughed slightly as she observed them from the other side of the diner as she cleaned one of the tables recently vacated, _'I wonder how long it's been since they've had a proper meal. It doesn't look like they cook much.'  
_Thirty-five minutes later, the four of them looked at their empty plates appreciatively. "Ya know, I don't really fancy knowing what type of egg this is", Rose remarked before adding, "It was delicious, but still. Best not know." "I couldn't agree more!" piped in the red-head.

Once they left the little diner, the Doctor led them to the other end of the small village where there lay a field. The two mountain sides hugged the valley in such a way that led the Doctor to wrap his arm over Rose's shoulder, while Rory wrapped his arm around Amy's waist. The two suns glistened over the valley and lake that was located at the far end. The pair stood at the edge admiring the beautiful alien landscape before the Doctor stepped away from Rose. She looked at him questioningly, misinterpreting the sudden distance, but before she could say anything, he began rummaging in his pockets for something. The three companions looked at the Doctor, unsure of what he could possibly be looking for in those pockets of his, when suddenly he pulled out what appeared to be a bundle of fabric. Once extended properly, it became clear that it was a quilt. He motioned Rory over and they both extended the quilt and put it down on the slight slope. The Doctor took his boots off and sat down, patting the spot next to him. Rose took a seat and smiled at him, a smile which turned into her signature grin. Amy took the spot next to Rose, as Rory joined her and laid down on his back obviously appreciating the calm serenity of the planet. It had been a while since they had relaxed.

"So… Rose…" the Doctor began. Rose looked up at him, knowing perfectly well where he was going with this. "You want to know what happened since last time we saw each other on Dålig Ulv Stranden…"  
Amy looked at Rose, "Bad Wolf Bay?" The Doctor nodded, his eyes tightening at the memories associated with that set of words.

Rose cleared her throat and took a deep breath before starting her story. "When you left me with John-", the Doctor stopped Rose evidently confused and asked, "Who is John?"

"The other Doctor. As I was saying, when you left us at Bad Wolf Bay in Pete's World, we were both left in a state of shock, to put it lightly. We didn't really know what to do. We were stuck for the first time without the ability to do much. He was a lot like your ninth regeneration, except that he had the memories already. Eventually we managed to settle in somewhat and get used to the fact that we weren't going to be able to do much traveling. It was strange… I knew he was technically you, but at the same time we both knew it wasn't the same. Still, we did the best we could and did something with ourselves. He got aliases and other official paperwork through Pete; a story was put out for me again for my sudden disappearance. I finished my A-levels and thanks to all I had learned from you, I went on and got a Bachelors and a Masters degree in Anthropology. I knew enough to breeze through the program in three years, which was surprising for everyone; including Mum. John got a job at Torchwood and reformed it as best as he could during that time…"

Rose paused for a moment before continuing, "He and I… we attempted to form a relationship right from where we left off but it was hard. We were dating in a sense during that first year, but it didn't feel as carefree as it had with you. It was a constant jump from how you were during your ninth regeneration; which I didn't mind at all, except that it would randomly appear in the middle of the carefree attitude you had during your tenth. During my time in Pete's world the first time, Dad got me a nice flat built on the land where his mansion is. I didn't want to be too far away from them. It made me happy knowing that my mum was happy with him. When I returned to Pete's World and you left John with me, we decided to share the flat and we worked great together as flat-mates. He even learned how to cook! It was disastrous the first times though. Sorta like what happened this mornin'. John and I became best friends while we dated, but there was always something holding us back from properly reaching the next level. Sometimes it hurt, knowing that he wasn't really you. I loved him, but not the way I had loved you. Eventually though we began falling into an easy pace that was becoming easier and easier as the time progressed. Of course, you and I know far too well that when anything gets too easy, that's when bad things begin to occur."

Rose sighed and closed her eyes for a brief moment. "Another war broke out on Pete's World…it was as if the universe knew that things were far too blissful. Earth was targeted by a multitude of hostile alien species, but we didn't have you there to stop it. We tried our best. UNIT and Torchwood teamed up with similar groups located around the world and we fought them time after time. That was during the fourth year in that world. I don't really know how time transfers from parallel worlds. It was then when we realized that Pete's mansion and the general area were unsafe for all of us, so we built a living complex under Torchwood which was handled under absolute secrecy. We needed a safe space and it worked... for a few months anyways. One night however, Torchwood's defenses were breached by a virus the Cybermen had tried to send out years back that we thought had been permanently shut down. The virus was picked up by one of the alien species invading Earth and that's when it all went downhill. We were all fighting, and decided to send Mum and anyone else out of the country to one of our underwater bases. If anything, we thought they'd be safest there."

A tear rolled down Rose's face as she closed her eyes and continued talking. The Doctor's face was blank and devoid of emotion as he processed all that was being told to him. Amy had enclosed herself in Rory's arms as she held Rose's hand like a sister.

She took another deep breath and resumed. Her voice was shaky this time, "The war raged on, and the entire planet was loosing badly. Even the animal species realized something was wrong. For the first time wild animals and humans had stopped fighting each other and fought for their home. I tried Doctor, I really did. We did all we could from the surviving Torchwood towers. All this warfare though… it was taking a real toll on John…he was beginning to look more and more like a ruthless warrior at times. He would catch himself and attempt to stop, but during one of our final battles, he transformed into an angry and vengeful God… When it first began we didn't think much of it. We were all stressed and short-tempered for obvious reasons. Pete and I were doing bad after we lost half the team and the strongest woman in our lives… I dunno if mum knew something we didn't or if it was just her instinct that caused her to say goodbyes to us; goodbyes we thought were temporary… she told me to be happy, regardless of what happened, to always follow my gut-instinct. Her last words to me were that you had changed me for the better. Ever since I ran off with you after you blew up the shop, after you regenerated, when we fought alongside you when the Daleks and Cybermen crossed over into this dimension… Returning to the rising issue with John, we didn't think he would be susceptible to that vengeful condition, considering he only had half the Time Lord genes. We later identified that he was starting to develop into something he called the "Time Lord Victorious". After each episode it was becoming harder to return him to his normal state. At one point he said that because he was the last of the Time Lords; at this point, I realized he was talking about his Time-Lord side, the laws of time itself belonged to him. It was scary, to be perfectly honest. Once he realized this though, he used that anger to fight against the hostile aliens. At times we would get aliens willing to fight alongside us since the hostile ones had destroyed their homes. It was reminding me a lot of the Time War…there were no known Doctors in Pete's World. If there had been any, this could have been stopped much sooner and with less casualties."

Just as Rose said this, some deep burgundy clouds began to roll in, obscuring the suns from view, as if setting the mood for the rest of the conversation.

"During the final battle I remember, John began to turn into the Time Lord Victorious, but this time he realized what was happening. It was beginning to take over again… I lost just about everything in that final battle; and I know that the rest of the world was in trouble. We were all loosing… Torchwood was being destroyed left and right, and eventually they made it inside again. We didn't think they would look to attack in the same location again."

Tears began to fall freely, "I'm sorry, I can't continue with this next part. I learned I could do something with the Bad Wolf left in me… Doctor, Amy, and Rory, put your hands on the temple area and close your eyes. I'll jus' show you this next part."

_Screaming was coming to her from all ends, nothing was visible anymore. "JOHN! PETE!" Rose screamed through the rubble. She began coughing after accidentally breathing in some of the rising dust from the weakening structure. "Rose, you have to go!" came the voice of John Smith somewhere to her right. She squinted her eyes against the burning smoke, "NO! I'm not doing this again! I can't just leave you and Pete, just run off and avoid this! Where's Pete!? Where are you?! I can't see you!"._

Rose began walking carefully through the rubble when suddenly a blast on her right side flung her across the room. She had been through enough simulations during her training for Torchwood that she instinctively made sure to protect her neck. As soon as she realized she was still alive, she got up and tried to find a gun again. She tripped over something on the floor, and almost regretted looking down. The man who had taken her and her mother in, dead. She crouched on her knees as tears fell. Now she had lost both of her father's. As her Dad had said, at least they got to spend time together. Rose wiped the blood dripping from his head and planted a kiss on his forehead, knowing that wherever her mum was, Pete was meant to be by her side. Her heart ached at the thought of her beloved mum. Another blast came and whatever it was grazed her skin, leaving an angry burn mark.

"Rose!" came the familiar voice of John. He had found gas-masks and put one on her before she could process what was happening. "I found this in the rubble. It was actually in a safe box that was opened from the impact of one of the blasts caused by whatever weapon our enemies have. It has the last surviving vortex manipulator of this world. I don't have much time left in me, but you Rose, my precious Rose, you have an eternity left in front of you! Find him. Find me. We both need you, but he has the ability to keep you safe, unlike me. I wish I could, but I can't. The least I can do is use this final weapon Torchwood had for events such as these when the world is better off not existing anymore."

Rose looked at him in disbelief. "You're trying to send me away again? What happened to us fightin' together like a team?"

He grabbed both of her shoulders gently, "I want you to survive! Find me in the other universe! Let him know what happened, please for me. Consider it my dying wish. I wish you and I could have grown old together, as my other self intended. Formed a family, led a good life. You are too jeopardy-friendly as I am, but without the TARDIS we don't have much power to defend the Earth or the surrounding areas. Please, use this and find me! The moment you leave, I am creating a black hole big enough to swallow the Earth and everything on it, but not big enough to cause issues elsewhere." Rose hugged him tightly, freely crying into his shoulder. They were both covered in cuts, burns, and bruises, but that didn't matter. They embraced each other tighter than ever and shared one last kiss. "I love you Rose Tyler" John said to her, and without warning pushed the yellow button that would transfer her back to her home universe. "NO!", she cried out as she caught a final glimpse of what was the beginning of the black hole, before succumbing to the imminent darkness.

Rose was sobbing by this point, her strong façade had shattered. The Doctor wrapped his arms around her and softly pulled her back towards the ground. Amy and Rory leaned back as well, tears falling from Amy's eyes, while tears pooled in Rory's eyes.

They all remained quiet for about ten minutes, processing everything they had seen.

They did not notice the woman who had appeared at a distance, hidden from view behind a tree. She had been observing them, and after Rose had ended, she gave a sad smile and jotted something down. With one last glance, the mysterious woman left.

The Doctor finally cleared his throat quietly, "Did you find me after this?" Rose looked at him and said, "Yes and No."  
"What do you mean?", he asked; as the Ponds shared his confused expression. "I searched for over two years, but I'd always run into the wrong you. The vortex manipulator had enough energy for one inter-dimensional jump, but it worked well here on Earth. I couldn't go looking for you in a linear pattern, so I began jumping around times. Mind you, some of your previous regenerations were rude, not ginger, or just weird…", Rose said with a hiccup and a laugh.

"Rose, how many years did these events last?", Amy asked as her eyebrows wrinkled up in thought and confusion. Rose thought for a moment, "Seven years. Five years in Pete's World and two on Earth" Amy and Rory looked at the Doctor, "You realize that seven years have passed and she barely looks like she's 22." The Doctor remained quiet and before he could reply, Rose chuckled softly, "I'd like to think it's the genes in me, but the timelines mess everything up. It's only been two Earth years for me…. Still…I know something is changin' inside me. I can't lay a finger on it though. Once we get to the TARDIS maybe we can figure it out.

"So you met former regenerations? How come I don't remember?", he asked. Rose replied, "Because I told you to lock those memories away until the time came".

"Will we be able to hear those stories?" Amy asked. Rose nodded, "I'll tell you the stories of my encounters with all of his past regenerations, including his first self, but not today.." The Doctor looked around and noticed it was getting late, by the planet's standards. "We should probably get back to the TARDIS. I'm sure all of you could do with a nap."

Rose and Amy nodded as they stood up. Rory stood up and walked to the Doctor and dropped his voice to a whisper, "Will we be running tests on Rose?". The Doctor gave a short nod before playing it off as nothing to the women in front of him. He bent over to pick up the quilt and proceeded to stuffing it unceremoniously into a pocket. He straightened out his bow-tie and extended his hand out to Rose, who intertwined her fingers with his, and led them through the village to the TARDIS.

The same mysterious woman appeared again and muttered, _Soon_, before disappearing again.

They made it back to the TARDIS who graciously opened her doors to them. Once they were inside, they collapsed on the seats. Story-time would continue, and the Doctor decided he was going to figure out what was going on with his pink and yellow human. Not now though. She deserved some sleep, but he was going to find out what she had meant with what was left of the Bad Wolf. He had taken that out of her, but he shrugged to himself. He'd have time to figure that out. For now, they were going to enjoy their time and take a nap. _Silly little humans, sleeping their life away. Not bad though, not bad at all…._ And with those thoughts, the Doctor dozed off as well.


	6. The Return of River Song

**Before I present the sixth chapter, I'd like to say a big 'Thank you!' to all my reviewers and to those who have added this story (and/or myself) to the favorite/alert list! As always, I do not own nor do I make profit from this story and its characters. The characters of Doctor Who belong exclusively to BBC; the story-line is of my creation. :)**

**In other words, OH MY RASILLION! THE DOCTOR WHO CHRISTMAS SPECIAL WAS FANTASTIC AND SPECTACULAR! I wont post spoilers for those who haven't seen it. All I can say is: WE NOW HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL April FOR THE REST! WHAT THE GALLIFREY! -Shakes Fist- MOFFAT! -collapses-**

When they awoke from their nap, Amy and Rose decided they had to go and do some form of grocery shopping. Rory was welcomed in the kitchen but the Doctor was strictly forbidden from trying to cook again; at least until he went and got proper lessons once more. The ginger called out to the Doctor from the other side of the console: "Doctor, can you set the coordinates for London Earth 2012? We need to buy some basic groceries that we know well. Not that grocery shopping on a different planet isn't fun."

They eventually landed back in London and stepped out. Rory looked around and smiled, "Nice to know its still around! Alright, let's go buy some basics. I love how the TARDIS' refrigerator expands to the size we need. I think we should split up; that way we can get stuff done faster."

Amy linked arms with Rose as they chose to buy some food including vegetables and fruits (particularly strawberries and banana's… primarily bananas actually). The Doctor and Rory looked at each other and shrugged. "We'll be around somewhere...we'll buy stuff! Lets regroup near the TARDIS in about two hours! Come along Pond!", the Doctor said to Rory. "It's Williams, Doctor!", Rory replied. The Doctor shrugged as the ladies walked off towards the shops. About two hours later they regrouped. Amy and Rose had purchased a variety of items that didn't spoil easily which included some basic pasta varieties and banana pudding for the Doctor (non-refrigerated). While they were putting the groceries away, the Doctor did the only thing he was allowed: put the water into a teapot for some well deserved tea for all of them.

Once they had finished putting everything away they walked over to the console room and sat down on the various seats. At that moment the TARDIS door opened slowly, causing Amy, Rory, Rose, and the Doctor to freeze.

"Sweeties!", the voice called out, as the door opened.

"Hello River!" the Doctor said with a grin as the woman named River gave him a hug and peck on the cheek. She walked over to Amy and Rory hugged them tightly.

Rose observed as this lovely woman stepped into the TARDIS and kept her face emotionless. The Doctor looked at Rose, "Rose, I'd like you to meet Professor River Song."

Rose smiled and walked forward with an extended hand, "Nice to meet you Professor River Song". River grinned at her, "Of course you are love", and the two exchanged a laugh as if sharing an inside joke.

Amy, Rory, and the Doctor shared equal looks of confusion at this exchange, and at that moment, the Doctor clapped his hands. "So River! What brings you here this time?"

"Oh you know, the usual. Aliens need shooting" she replied with a slight sigh. "So Rose, I'd like to get to know you better. I know you traveled with the Doctor before, but I don't know much else."

The Doctor; who had been sitting, suddenly stood up, "River, she just told us and I don't want her to have to go through it again..."

Rose placed a hand on his and smiled before saying, "It's okay." She turned her attention towards River, "Basic story, the Doctor and I got separated by the void. I was trapped in an alternate universe for er-5 years before making it back to this one. It took me an additional two years to find him in this universe but before I found this him, I kept running into his previous selves."

River's eyebrow lifted up slightly at the mention of years, but it went unnoticed by the rest.

"Well Rose, I think it would be great if we could talk some more. TARDIS, could you provide a space for us to talk in private?"

"I'm sorry sweeties, I can't explain why I have to talk to Rose alone. Spoilers!", River said to the Doctor, Amy, and Rory. Rose smiled reassuringly at the Doctor whose expression was amusing. He wasn't used to not knowing what was going on, but considering this involved River Song, it came as no surprise to Amy and Rory.

Rose and River walked off into the depths of the TARDIS.

After a few minutes of walking they arrived at a gold colored door. They looked behind them and saw that their original path had been changed.

The Tardis spoke to them with her soft chiming voice, I've made it nearly impossible for them to find you. I do not believe that Amy nor Rory would come looking, but you both know how the Doctor can be at times. Rose; my child, you will have to tell him the truth eventually…

The door opened and River stepped in as Rose followed. They were in a replica of a French café. "Wow! What a view! Sure, we could visit Paris at anytime, but chances are there'll be aliens waiting for us. This is excellent and just what we needed", Rose said; clearly awed by the much needed peace and serenity that was provide. River nodded in agreement and went to take a seat in a comfortable chair that faced Rose's designated chair.

"So, where do we begin Rose? There's so much to talk about, and not enough time. Never mind," she stopped with a laugh before continuing, "we have all the time we need!", River said.

Rose replied, "Well, for starters we have to act like we don't really know each other. Otherwise the Doctor will suspect prematurely. We also need to update our timeline journals and see where we're at."

River remained silent before directing a question at her, "Yes, but before we update our journals, I must tell you. It's necessary he finds out on his own. We cant be spoiling crucial details beforehand. When are you going to tell him the truth of how long it's really been? Oh, and how did you come up with seven?"

Rose placed her head in her hands, "I dunno... 7 years was the easiest and most logical number I could think of that wasn't goin' to seem out of place with my physical appearance..."

"You spent not 5 years but 10 in Pete's Universe and 50 in this one right? 10 Alternate Universe years and 50 years jumping back and forth in this one.. That's how you and I kept bumping into each other. And his former selves, which I'm guessing was amusing?"

Rose lifted her head laughed before replying, "Yeah, they were pretty interesting. It was priceless with his ninth self; the one I met first. To answer your question, yea' 10 seemingly short years in Pete's World before I had everythin' that made life worth it taken from me..."-at that moment Rose placed her hand absentmindedly on her womb-"...still, I can't deny that there were some things that were nearly as good as what I had."

River sipped the hot tea that had appeared in front of her and put a hand over Rose's hand on the table and said slowly, "I'm sorry for everything that occurred. How long was it before you realized you weren't aging?"

Rose pondered the question for a while and said, "Ya know, I think it was about five years after I left Pete's World. I thought that maybe I had been lucky with my genes since I couldn't see much of a difference in my physical appearance. The only thing that changed was that my hair became golden permanently, including some light golden streaks in my eyes. I had stopped paying attention to time itself. It's not like I looked in mirrors often."

The two women talked as if they were old friends. Technically they were and weren't. River's timeline was all over the place as was Rose's. The Doctor's timeline appeared rather straight compared to theirs. At that moment, a holographic waiter appeared, "May I present the menu to both of you?". The TARDIS chimed into their heads at that moment and said telepathically _Worry not. My food is edible, unlike my Thief's. It is transported into the room of my choice when I request it. It comes directly from the restaurant this is imitating. It's a little trick I learned, which I rarely get to use._

Rose grinned at River and said, "Oh! That sounds brilliant!". They both took a menu that had appeared on the table, and after a few minutes, they each had chosen a dish. Rose chose a dish labeled "Ravioles de Celeri Rave à la crème de chèvre frais, pomme Granny Smith, jus de viande et émulsion menthe" which the TARDIS translated to "Ravioli of celert root stuffed with fresh goat cheese and Granny Smith Apples; mint emulsion". River on the other hand chose a dish called "Coquillettes jambon blanc, truffes, Comté" which was translated to "Elbow pasta shells with ham, truffles, and Comte cheese".

After about 5 minutes of having ordered, their food appeared. "Lets eat before we continue talking", River said as she placed the napkin on her lap, "It's been a while since I've had food this good.". Rose nodded appreciatively as she began eating.

_-25 minutes later-_

"River, what do you think is happening to me? Is it similar to your situation?", Rose asked in a highly concerned tone.

"I wish I knew love. It's hard to say. Our first time meeting was shortly after your arrival to this universe."-River gave a quiet laugh-" You were a right mess! It's impressive you survived the trip across the void with just a vortex manipulator. I do remember that your injuries were surrounded by a golden glow in the shape of a wolf. I'm not sure if its just the vortex inside you that has slowed your aging down to a sluggish pace or if it altered your DNA completely."

The blonde nodded slowly, "I can sorta remember that. It's like a dream... It looks like we will need the Doctor to find out what exactly has happened with me. I would also like to thank you for the journal idea a few trips back. It has certainly made our encounters easier. At least with the Doctor you know you're goin' in one direction while he's goin' in the opposite. With us it's just all over the place."

River smiled slightly, "I know what you mean, with it feeling like a dream. There are certain things I can't remember properly. Still, sometimes it's better… Has it been hard keeping the truth from the Doctor?"

Rose looked at her and her eyes slowly filled with tears as she searched for words, "It is hard, but the words of his previous selves keep me going. Not to mention the words of John and my family. It's been hard not havin' em with me. All that could've been and will never be. I haven't managed to find Jack yet; I'd like to know how he is. I am glad to be back with him…I never thought I'd manage it. All the encounters I've had with his previous selves were memories he's had to lock away until I give the specific trigger words. It's slightly strange that regardless of which face he has, I still feel the same way."

She trailed off for a moment before her features dawned with determination, "John's final sacrifice was not in vain."

River grinned at her blonde companion and grasped her hand firmly, "That's the spirit. The Doctor might be shocked when you tell him the truth, and he might be slightly upset with himself for not remembering your past encounters, but he'll love you regardless."

Rose turned pink and said, "L-love? Surely he doesn't. I mean…. John was one thing, but the Doctor is a different person. Rasillion knows I love that daft old man, but he's never been one to say or act upon it…"

"Both of you are daft", River said with a hearty laugh. "Even the Pond's have noticed the way you both look at each other. It doesn't take saying to know the deep affection between you both. There are some things we have to discuss later on; some things in my future that you've yet to encounter. According to some entries, we had discussed this, but because I began it. It's a bit confusing to explain sweetie. You understand."

Rose opened up a drawer that had appeared on the side of the table and took out two pens, "Speaking of journals, we should update them before we keep talking and forget. We should also wrap up our session before the Doctor goes mad not knowing what is going on."

With those words, their journals appeared on the table, and the two women smiled before beginning their writing.

After a few minutes, they had jotted down major points of their conversation that would be crucial to know in the future, or past; wherever they found themselves. Eventually Rose half-mumbled, "Well, it's time to leave this little haven and go back out." With those words, they both got up and walked out the door that had just opened. Since their session was finished for the time being, the door appeared right outside the console room. Their sudden appearance startled Amy, Rory, and the Doctor who jumped a foot in the air.

"You girls have a nice talk?", Amy inquired with a look that clearly meant she wanted to know what was going on. Rose smiled and nodded before she looked at the Doctor, "Well it seems to me that River is an excellent person to have around!"

"I'm glad to have met Rose!", River said to the Doctor right after Rose spoke.

Rory; who was standing next to Amy, chuckled at the Doctor's bemused expression.

The Doctor cleared his throat and said to the blonde women in front of him, "Should we be expecting any sort of explanation as to what you two were discussing and why you suddenly appear as if you've known each other for ages?"

Rose and River looked at each other before River responded with a wink and smirk, "Spoilers!"

"I hate it when you use that on me...", the Doctor sat down with a grumble. "Rose? Will you tell me? Pleasee?"

"Maybe, maybe not.", Rose replied with her trademark grin, "Oh alright. I'll have to think which point of the story is the ideal place to start... Timey-wimey, ya know."

And with those words, the second part of the Bad Wolf's story began.

**Merry Holiday's to all! I'm not sure exactly when I'll have the next chapter posted, but I assure you; my readers, that it will not be too long. I'd also like to announce that I have gained inspiration for a series of Song-Inspired one-shots sort of angsty/romance fics that land between Journey's End & the beginning of this AU-story. They will be written eventually once I organize my ideas.**

**What I will say regarding Rose's encounters with the previous regenerations of the Doctor is that they will each take place in a different location. I'll be doing a semester abroad and visiting about 10 countries during my stay in the United Kingdom. The basic idea of this is one doctor per location! However, I will not be writing those encounters until I have visited the location and gotten the idea for them; rather than trying to imagine a place I've never visited/seen.**


	7. The Story Continues

**I'd like to thank all those who added me and/or my story to their Alert/Favorite list! For the sake of this chapter (time-lines are all over the place at this point so just ignore the canon stuff for now). The following things will be established right now: Amy and Rory are married, River and the Doctor are NOT an item. I repeat, NOT an item. Excellent friends from a wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey point of view, as are Rose and River.**

**Disclaimer: Another year has passed and I still don't own the show or its characters, or even BBC. Not even David Tennant's amazing hair! (Seriously, why is his hair so gorgeous?). I don't own anything other than my own story-line. Although… I am meeting Colin Baker and Paul McGann on the 10th of March! Oh and I also got Matt Smith, David Tennant, and Christopher Eccleston's autographs! :D **I'm working on getting the 4th, 5th, and 7th Doctor's autographs!****

**Anyways, here is Chapter 7. Please Read & Review!**

"_Maybe, maybe not." Rose replied with her trademark grin, "Oh alright. I'll have to think which point of the story is the ideal place to start… Timey-wimey, ya know."_

After Rose had teased the Doctor about his impatience, she decided to tell him a little about what happened while she had searched for him. Of course, this was done without telling him the actual amount of time she had been searching in this universe. "Doctor, why are you so impatient? You seem to get worse as time passes!", Rose told him with a big grin.

"I'm not impatient Rose! I just don't like to wait long!", the Doctor replied as he straightened his bow-tie. "Uh, Doctor. That's the same as being impatient!", Amy exclaimed, while River and Rory roared with laughter at the Doctor's expression. The Doctor scoffed indignantly at his companions and said as he drew himself up to his full height, "Just laugh. I've got to go make repairs!" and he began to walk off. River called out to his retreating figure, "Oh come on! You'll just hurt her even more by doing your 'repairs'!". This time Rose and Amy joined Rory in the laughing. The women in the TARDIS looked at Rory expectantly, and he replied with a grimace, "I can't think of anything good". "Oh Husband!" Amy exclaimed, as she gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"If you'll all excuse me for a moment, I have to make a phone call", Rose exclaimed as she searched in her small bag. "Are you going to update him?", River asked, and upon seeing the blank expressions coming from the Ponds she said to them, "He's an old friend."

Rose walked out of the console room and went down the corridor, as it twisted and turned until she made it to the library. Once she was there, she saw one of the book ladders that led to the second balcony lining the top half and went up. She quickly scanned the library and was satisfied with the emptiness of it. At the far corner of the indoor balcony, she found a very comfortable armchair and sank into it. Her first thoughts were that they were like the armchairs that the headmaster Albus Dumbledore from the Harry Potter series conjured up. After closing her eyes for a moment, she took out her phone and dialed one of the few numbers she still had saved on there.

"Torchwood Three. Please identify yourself", a voice called through the phone's speaker. "Rose Tyler. Please connect me to Captain Jack Harkness.", she replied formally. "One moment", the same voice replied curtly. The line went silent for a few seconds when finally she heard the same familiar voice, "Rosie! It's been too long since we've spoken. How's my favorite blonde doing?"

"Hi Jack. I've been better, but I have some excellent news. Do you recall the last time we saw each other how I mentioned to you that I'd call as soon as I found him?"

"Yes! You found him! Is he still dashing; well not as dashing as me, but close enough?"

"Not exactly. He regenerated again. We still haven't spoken on that matter. He looks younger now. Any younger and he'll be lookin' like a teenager! He's still handsome as ever of course, but he wears bow-ties and a tweed jacket now. He thinks fezzes are cool, according to Amy Pond", Rose replied with a laugh.

Her spirits felt lifted as she spoke to her old friend. Nobody quite understood everything that had happened between the Doctor and her other than Jack, considering he had been there from the beginning. "Rosie, we're going to have to set up some sort date and location for us to meet and properly talk. I have one question: Is he as jealous as Mister Big Ears was?"

"Jack! I happened to love his ears okay! I know you did too." she replied with a laugh, "To answer your question though, I don't think his personality includes being a jealous bloke."

"Okay then Rosie, where should we meet? Could you bring River along as well? I'd like to hear how you two met."

"Of course I'll bring her along. I'm not sure what time she has to get going, but we should have enough time. How about we meet somewhere we wont attract too much attention? London is watching as is Cardiff."

Jack thought for a moment and said, "I know just the place. It's about four hours from Cardiff headed North. The town is called Bangor. The people there aren't so on alert as those in London and Cardiff tend to be."

She stayed silent for a moment as she pulled out a small GPS-looking device that worked anywhere she was in time. After a few seconds she responded, "Okay! I'll be there soon enough. I just have to talk to River and the Doctor. Lets meet in five hours time, yea?"

"Sounds like a plan! I think I'll be going alone. Gwen and Ianto are out doing some things for Torchwood. See you soon Rosie!"

The phone went silent as both of them hung up, and with a grin on her face, she put the phone and device away into her "bigger-on-the-inside" purse. Thank goodness for the technology she came across while traveling the universe. The first time she had read the final Harry Potter book (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows), she had fallen in love with Hermione Granger's beaded bag which had been bewitched by an undetectable extension charm. Now she finally had something that was close enough to that. Considering she was always running from one thing or another, the small bag had really come in handy. She didn't really have a permanent home anymore. She had gone and checked on the flat in London shortly after arriving and recovering. In a linear point of view, it had only been a few years since she had arrived, but it had been more than fifty years ago from a wibbly wobbly point of view. Even though Rose had seen that most of the things were still there completely untouched, she couldn't bear to actually spend a night there.

:-:-:-:-:_Flashback_:-:_I would suggest you listen to "Rose's Theme" as you read this. I had it on repeat as I wrote this._-:-:-:

_She slowly approached the Powell Estates. Nothing had really changed, aside from some of the people that lived there or had moved. The last time she had crossed the universes, she hadn't come to the estate and had gotten straight to work, making sure everything was in place. She glanced around to make sure that she hadn't been followed and unlocked the entry door using the light pink sonic screwdriver that River had helped her make. She stopped for a moment and slyly looked around checking again. It wasn't in her best interest for UNIT or Torchwood to know, at least not until she managed to contact Jack. She walked towards her flat door, unlocked it, and stepped in. Closing the door behind her, Rose walked in and felt a few tears filling her eyes as she looked around the familiar settings. She smiled slightly at the memories that poured in; Christmas holidays with her mother and friends, the time the Doctor brought her home one year late (which earned him a slap at the hand of her fearsome mother Jackie Tyler), and the first Christmas the Doctor had spent with them. She walked over to her old room and looked inside. Everything was as it had been the way she'd left it; the only difference was that it was covered in a few inches of dust. She looked at the picture frames still left on the wardrobe. Rose instinctively picked up a picture of her Mum and her on their only trip to Paris. Her mum was smiling widely, both arms wrapped protectively around her daughter. The trip had been provided to them by the Doctor as a gift for all their troubles after his messy regeneration. She put it in her bag and looked at the next picture frame. This one had a picture of Jack, Mickey, the Doctor (in his ninth regeneration) and her outside of a pub Mickey had taken them to as he showed London. Rose smiled at the memories of the Doctor holding her possessively as Mickey and Jack made suggestive faces at her; at the women (and men) Jack had managed to seduce with just a few words, and of course the Doctor's disapproval of Jack's continuous flirting. She set the picture in her bag and saw a small light-pink journal sticking out from underneath a pile of magazines. It was covered in shinning stars of all sizes and faintly glittered; a show of how old the journal actually was. She recalled that the Doctor had given it to her shortly after meeting the brilliant Charles Dickens. Inside the cover was a small note that read: _

_:~:~: My dearest Rose, I understand that sometimes I make you feel frustrated. I'm sorry that I fail to express myself clearly at times, and for that reason I give this to you. Something you can write your thoughts down whenever you choose. Know that it has a special lock designed by the TARDIS that prevents anyone from opening it, other than you. Yours, The Doctor :~:~:_

_This particular note had made her smile for ages. She could only imagine how much it had taken the Doctor to write this, considering he wasn't exactly an emotional bloke. Rose hadn't seen the journal for a long time. Time hadn't really passed if one looked at it through a linear point point of view, but it had been many many years. One of the last times she saw this was the last time she saw her Doctor in the form she knew the longest. She flipped over to the final page of the journal that she had written in when she had felt something was going to go wrong. That was, of course, before everything went downhill. Rose saw that the only things that were written were the following words: :-:-: If I am ever separated from him for whatever reason, I will find him, whatever it takes. :-:-: _

_She smiled and looked up into the empty flat. She'd already been in her original universe for ten years and hadn't managed to find the right Doctor. Yes, she would find him. Everything that had been sacrificed on behalf of her family and John to get her here would not be in vain. After all, she had all the time in the world. _

:-:-:_End Flashback_:-:-:

Rose walked towards the console room and ran into River. "River, I've just talked to him. He would like you to come as well. He wants to hear how we met…"

"Who did you just talk to?", came a voice from behind; startling both of the ladies. Rose quickly glanced at River, who gave a short jerk of a nod. "Uhm, Jack. I just finished talking with Jack. He wanted to know how I was, and uhm.. He needed to talk to River & I.." "Since when does Jack know River?", the Doctor asked rather confused. Rose replied, "Well, they haven't met in person, but they've spoken…He wanted to know how River & I met.. Would you, Rory, and Amy like to come along?" "Someone mention us?", came yet another voice, this time belonging to Amy, and behind her came Rory.

"Yes, Ponds! We will finally hear how Rose and River know each other! Oh and you'll get to meet 'Captain' Jack Harkness! Beware though. He flirts with everyone; regardless of species or gender. Did you tell him I've regenerated since our last meeting?", spoke the Doctor.

Rose nodded as she began walking towards the TARDIS' console, "Yes, he's up to date on most things. It's been a while since I've seen him. We're meeting him in a location that isn't as detected or as obvious as Cardiff. I'm supposed to be dead, you're not supposed to be here, and River is currently away from her jail cell. We're going to a smaller town called Bangor. Let's put the TARDIS somewhere close by there. Jack had mentioned that the pier had little to no activity on overcast and windy days." The Doctor punched in the coordinates and off they went.

-scene break-

The sun was nowhere to be seen under the thick layer of clouds as a man seemingly zapped into place out of nowhere. He walked out of the alleyway and walked towards the end of the deserted pier. On a nice day, one would see people along the pier, but luckily for him and those he was about to meet, it was completely deserted.

He found an empty bench and sat down before stretching out contently. A few minutes later, Jack heard the TARDIS materializing between two of the small pier cafe's. He got up and walked towards the door. Before Jack could reach the door, it opened, and out walked a young woman with curly blonde hair. "Hi, you must be Doctor River Song. I'm Captain Jack Harkness. Nice to meet you", Jack said to River with a wink. River grinned and said in a flirtatious tone, "Oh, I know who you are. Nice to meet you Captain Jack."

"Alright, alright, Jack behave yourself!", said the Doctor as he stepped out of the TARDIS with Rose in hand.

"What? I was only introducing myself to this dashing young woman", Jack replied innocently; while he threw another wink at River before extending his hand out to the Doctor before continuing with a grin, "Doctor. I lost track of how long its been since I've seen you. What a change! You went from Mister Grumpy Big Ears, to the Pretty Boy, and now this!"

The Doctor took Jack's hand and pulled him in for a big hug, "Very funny Jack. I must say, it is nice to see yet another familiar face! Looks like you can't stay away from me for too long."

"It was all Rosie's doing, actually. I don't know how she found me. People don't really find me, especially if I'm trying to stay out of the public eye. Few actually know where I am, like Gwen and Ianto", Jack replied.

As the two men smiled and spoke, Jack glanced over the Doctor's shoulder and said, "Who's that hottie?"

The Doctor turned and groaned, "Careful. She's married to him!"

"I wasn't speaking about Mrs Ginger! I was speaking about the one next to her!", Jack said with a hearty laugh, to which Rose and River laughed at even more.

The Doctor placed two fingers on the bridge of his nose and said with a sigh, "Jack, meet the Ponds; Rory and Amy."

"I'm going to guess he's normally like this?", asked Amy as she laughed at how uncomfortable Rory looked. "Uh, hi", Rory said to Jack, causing Rose and River to laugh even more. "Don't worry Rory, I don't bite. Either way, I'm a bit more interested in Doctor River Song.", Jack replied. "Please, just call me River", she said with a grin as she and Rose walked towards the benches lining the pier. "Uh, Jack. You should probably calm down. River is the daughter of Rory and Amy."

Jack stopped walking with his eyebrow raised, "What? Wait, I won't even try to figure out how that happened. But- Never mind. If I've learned anything from you, its that anything is possible."

The Doctor, Jack, and Rory took a seat on the bench opposite the one River, Rose and Amy had taken.

"Okay, down to business since we all have things to do. How did you and River meet?", Jack asked Rose.

"Well,-", Rose began glancing at River, "-that's a long story. You all deserve to know. It all began when I first arrived here… which is something I need to clear up as well… the exact time frame I arrived, I mean."

River smiled, "It's certainly a story to hear."

-END OF CHAPTER-

_The next chapter will explore just how Rose met River, the events that continued on from there, and just how she managed to make it back to London where she began her search for the Doctor. In this next chapter, I might even have Rose encounter one of the Doctors. We'll see! Please review! I love me a good review :) Thanks to all my readers! _


	8. Some New Old Friends

**A few notes before I present Chapter 8 to all of you (just bear with me): **

**1- My 'Rose meets the different regenerations of the Doctor' mini-stories within the chapters will be published first within this story. After that I will publish them as one-shots [maybe multiple chapters; depending on the response I receive. That means reviews! They will be cross reference to this story! :) **

**2- Remember: River is NOT the Doctor's wife. Her story remains the same aside from that. Instead of being sealed through marriage as the cannon states at the end of Series 6, it will be a very powerful friendship bond; like the "Unbreakable Vow" in a sense. This has happened for River but not the Doctor; yet. **

**3- Series 5 has occurred. Amy & Rory are married. This story lies in the beginning of Series 6 (after the Christmas Special "**_**A Christmas Carol**_**"). Since this story is a big story of how Rose arrived with the Doctor, I don't know yet if I'll do my own re-write of Series 6 & 7 with Rose included. If I do a re-write, I'll be creating my own dialogue for Rose, rather than taking dialogue away from other characters. It will be a sequel to this story. **

**4- This chapter is rather long, but I enjoyed writing it. I couldn't really find a good place to stop that would mess up my ninth chapter. **

**Disclaimer: As always, Doctor Who©[BBC] does not belong to me nor its characters. I don't own Christopher Eccleston, Matt Smith, David Tennant, Paul McGann, Catherine Tate, or Billie Piper. I'll blame Moffat for this too. -shakes fist- MOFFAT!**

**-I'm taking a leaf out of other writer's books: I will not post the next chapter unless I receive a ****minimum of 10 reviews****.- **

**Chapter 8:**

**:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:**

_River smiled, "It's certainly a story to hear."___

**:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~: **

Rose looked around at the Doctor, Jack, Rory, Amy, and River. "I've got some owning up to do before I tell you how River and I met and the events that went on from there. I'm actually older than I've let on. I spent 10 years rather than 2 in Pete's World, and I've been in this one for about 50 years, rather than 5...", Rose trailed off. She avoided looking the Doctor in the eyes, as his naturally calm face twisted in confusion and shock. What he thought he had known about her had turned out to be false. He hated not knowing what was going on, as everyone in the universe knew.

"When I first arrived in this universe, I thought that maybe the vortex manipulator had malfunctioned badly and had instead sent me in to the past; in Pete's World I mean. I lost consciousness for a while after that..", began Rose.

When Rose paused, River said to the group, "She was in a right state too! She was covered in bruises and slightly bleeding. Well, that's more of an understatement. When she finally came around, she was startled to see me in that alleyway. Of course I knew who she was straight away since we already knew each other in the future. Using your choice of words Doctor, 'Wibbly-Wobbly, Timey-Wimey'. I couldn't introduce myself right away. I was afraid that too much information right away could potentially cause more damage than good."

Rose smiled and continued, "I was angry and frustrated, and when I saw River next to me, I thought she was strange. I had appeared in a deserted alleyway and to wake up and find someone right next to you… I was confused. I couldn't say too much obviously. In either scenario, if I was still stuck in Pete's World, I had no name because Rose Tyler didn't exist there until after the Cyberman ordeal. If I was in this universe as I had planned, I was supposed to be dead."

During that pause Rory, Amy, and Jack leaned in anxiously to hear the rest of the story. The Doctor however remained stiff as he looked at Rose and then to River, with hardened eyes. From there, Rose and River dove into a detailed account of their first meeting.

_:~:~:~Flashback Mode via Rose & River's memory of their first encounter, and the events that followed that:~:~:~:_

River turned and saw a bright flash to which she smiled. _Right on time! My goodness you are punctual. Of course, you don't know that yet._ She shook her head as she gave a soft laugh. This whole meeting-out-of-order on orders from the Rose she already knew was slightly confusing. Rose hadn't really prepared River on how to react to her with the exception of one rule: Do not say too much before it is appropriate. The consequences could prove deadly for both of them in their current time.

At that moment, Rose appeared and seemed stable enough, until she collapsed hard. River walked briskly towards her and saw that there was a small bloody bump on Rose's head from the fall that kept bleeding intensely, along with bruises and injuries from her final moments in Pete's World. Rose stirred feebly as her breathing slowed down while River attempted to stop the bleeding.

'_You could have warned me about this!',_ River thought as she cleaned the biggest wound. She took out a special ointment that she and Rose had designed with the help of the TARDIS in the event of emergencies and dabbed it on the wound as quickly as she could. She sighed as the bleeding slowed down and eventually stopped.

Rose finally came around, slowly opening her eyes. Her vision was slightly blurred but after a few blinks noticed River next to her. Rose tried to move away quickly but only made herself nauseous. "Don't move too quickly. The jump you made was unprotected and you hit yourself rather hard." said the strange woman.

"Who are you?", Rose asked cautiously as she studied the curly-haired woman's face. River avoided the question, "I know who you're looking for. How do you feel?"

Rose narrowed her eyes and repeated her question; placing emphasis on each word, "Who. Are. You."

"Fine, if you must know, I am Doctor River Song.", River paused before repeating her earlier question, "How do you feel?"

_Why do I feel like I should trust her?, _Rose thought before answering out loud, "I've been worse… How do you know who I'm looking for? Are you UNIT or Torchwood?"

She held her breath, slightly afraid of the answer. After a moment of silence, River answered, "Neither. I know who you are looking for because we know each other in the future. You understand time-travel right?"

"How can I trust you with the limited information you gave me. Anybody can say that they know me in the future.", Rose began.

River held up a finger as a motion of silence before she rummaged in her right pocket. She took out a wallet-sized photograph and showed it to Rose. The picture showed Rose and River in a sisterly embrace smiling at the camera. They were standing outside the TARDIS. On the back of the photograph there was some writing:

-_Rose. This is a message from yourself in the future. Trust her. I can't say why due to the timelines, but trust her. She'll tell you more once you are both in a secure location away from the public eye. -Rose"-_

Rose stared at the writing. That was her writing, but how? The only explanation she could think of was that she really did know River in the future, and had no choice but to trust her. "I suppose we should do what the message to myself says? Get out of the public eye?"

River nodded, and stood up before helping Rose up. "Let's get you cleaned up before we move though. You look dreadful.", River said with a laugh as she took out a small glowing bottle. "Are those..nano-genes?", Rose asked as she remembered her last encounter with them. River nodded and before she could open the bottle she gasped. Rose had just emitted a golden glow from her eyes and was glowing all around, '_Is she… That's the same process of regeneration! What?!'_.

Rose looked at herself, "What's happening River?" As soon as she had asked the question, the glowing stopped. River put the jar of nano-genes back into her pocket slowly before gently grabbing Rose's arm and examining the area that had been bruised up. Nothing was there. The blood-coated hair had returned to its blonde status. All the bruises were gone. River looked at Rose curiously and said slowly, "I'm not sure… Your body just healed itself. That's something only Time Lords and Ladies can do… Let's go get a hotel room. We have a lot to talk about. Or rather I have a lot to tell you."

Rose nodded and looked down at her arms, hardly daring to believe it. They walked in silence towards a deserted little hotel. "Hello love. How many nights?", asked an elderly woman at the clerk desk. "Just two nights", replied River with a smile. "Can I get your name?", the clerk said. River said in return, "Yes. River. River S-Pond. River Pond." Rose's eyebrow went up slightly at River's self-correction. After about five minutes, Rose and River went up to the second floor of the hotel and unlocked the door. Inside the room was the standard two-twin beds, a bathroom, a small table, two chairs and a television.

Rose took a seat on the bed and looked down at her hands before looking up at River. "So mind telling me why I should trust you and how I know you in the future?"

River sat down opposite her in the squash chair next to the television. "The first thing you have to understand about me is that I am half-human and half-Time Lady. It happened when my parents made me during their honeymoon on the TARDIS. Some other points that I have to tell you are top-secret and they're the shortened version of events. The first is that I was ordered to kill the Doctor during my first life. I'm currently serving a sentence in prison, but they don't really notice when I leave. I also regenerated into my parent's childhood friend. Confusing life I know, but that's what happens when you hang around the Doctor. You can't say anything about what I've told you. That brings me to my next point. I know you're looking for the Doctor. You will find him, trust me, but it is going to take some time. I can't tell you exactly how long. Don't ask how I know this though. I can't tell you, I'm sorry Rose."

The blonde woman nodded after taking that in, "Okay, I understand. What am I supposed to do? What year is this anyways?"

River pondered those questions for a few minutes and finally replied, "Well, it is up to you to determine the path you'll take to find the Doctor. I can not help you. It would compromise the timelines far too much. The only reason I am able to be here is because you; yourself, told me about these events in your future which means that I have to complete a set of paradoxes unless we want reapers here. From what I understand, you've encountered them before? As for the year, it is currently the 24th century. I'm afraid you missed your estimated time by a few centuries. Still, you have your Vortex Manipulator."

She reached out and removed Rose's vortex manipulator. River examined it for a few moments before saying, "Oh.. This will need some work before it functions again. Let's order room service, you eat and relax. Take a shower and Rose, I want you to sleep today and most of tomorrow. You look like you haven't slept in a while."

Rose gave River a small smile and reached for the hotel phone, "Hello, yes. Can we get room service please.-[_pause_]- Yes, two full meals. -[_pause_]- " … "What do you want to drink River?", she added as she put her hand over the mouth-piece. "I'll have a tea. Wouldn't do me bad right about now", replied River as she pulled out a small magnifying glass and a minuscule tool set from her pocket. "-Yes, and two tea's please. -[_pause_]- 20 minutes? Yes, that's fine. Thank you."

"Alright the food will be here in about 20 minutes. They're sending up the tea now though." Rose said to River. "Okay, perfect. In the mean time, do you want to watch some television while I work on this?", River replied back.

Rose shook her head and looked at the small set of tools and the vortex manipulator. "Is there any way I can help?"

"I'd rather you just relax Rose. You've been under a lot of stress since leaving Pete's World -", River paused as she noticed the look on Rose's face, "-You told me about it; in the future I mean."

Rose nodded, "Alright.-[_pause; doorbell to the hotel room rings_]-that'll be the tea." She stood up and opened the door, "Hi, yeah, the tea is here. Thanks." She set the tea's down on the small table." River reached over and took a sip from the tea and resumed working on the vortex manipulator and suddenly stopped, deep in though, "I wonder….". She reached into her pockets again and searched around until, "Aha! Here it is."

Rose looked over River's shoulder, "Is that a _pink_ sonic screwdriver?" "That is correct. This one is mine-", she reached into her pockets again and pulled out a sonic screwdriver that shone red at the tip. "So who does that one belong to?", Rose asked; pointing at the pink sonic screwdriver. "You of course! You designed it after all!", River replied laughing.

She took a look at the pink sonic screwdriver and picked it up gently. It resembled her first Doctor's sonic screwdriver, with the exception that it was a very light pink rather than silver and shone bright pink when activated.

Finally, River said, "Alright Rose, you have to get some sleep. Go shower first before dinner arrives. I'll finish fixing this vortex manipulator and get some sleep myself.". With those words Rose nodded and grabbed a fluffy white towel before stopping. "River? I just realized I don't have a change of clothes. Does it matter much?"

River glanced at her, "No I'm afraid you have to change into something else. You'll attract too much attention since your clothing is so tattered. Here, I have a change of clothes for you and me. I'll have them out for you by the time you finish showering."

Rose nodded again and stepped into the shower, closing the doors behind her. She turned the water knob to 40•C. The water was hot but not hot enough to burn her, and she greatly appreciated that. It had been a while since she had showered. So much had happened in the last … she had honestly lost track of how long it had been since she had fought and lost everything. It seemed like ages away. Now, after all that, she had found someone; or rather had been found by someone, who seemed to know what she had to do. Rose closed her eyes and placed shampoo into her palm where she proceeded to lathering for a few minutes. She massaged her scalp and sighed, attempting to relax her tense muscles under the running hot water. After about 10 minutes she finally turned off the water and wrapped herself in the large towel. When she stepped out, she saw a full change of clothing on her assigned bed. "Let me guess. The future version of myself chose the clothing?", Rose asked in an amused tone. "No, I did. You were busy and told me to go to the TARDIS wardrobe and find you something to sleep in and an outfit appropriate for your travels.", River said pointedly as she signaled down at the heavy-duty sleek black boots. "The food arrived a few minutes before you stepped out of the shower. Help yourself."

Rose grabbed the blue cotton sleeping gown and slipped it on in the bathroom before stepping back out and sitting on the bed. She pulled one of the trays on the rolling portable table and looked at the contents. She smiled when she saw that it was a grilled chicken hamburger with a plentiful side of chips. She had missed eating them and gratefully put them in her mouth. River reached over towards the second portable table with the second tray and ate as she looked at the vortex manipulator. About 40 minutes later, she put down the various tools she had been using and said, "I think I'll pause for tonight. I'll have this finished by tomorrow night at the latest." When she heard nothing but silence, she turned around and smiled when she saw that Rose had simply fallen back into the bed. Food forgotten on the table. River stood up and grabbed one of the spare blankets and covered Rose in it. She took her beige coat off and unlaced her boots before sinking into the bed gratefully. She wasn't sure how long it had been since she had slept for hours uninterrupted. River closed her eyes and opened them, _Of course I forgot to turn the light off. _She reached over lazily and grabbed her sonic. After adjusting the settings, she found the one she needed and pointed her sonic screwdriver at the light and flicked it off. With a grin, River closed her eyes and finally fell asleep.

-_scene break-_

When Rose finally awoke, she saw that she had slept sixteen hours. Shocked as she was, it was even more shocking seeing that River was fast asleep even though it was nearly 17:00. River stirred and slowly opened her eyes. "How long did we sleep?", she asked Rose. "I dunno about you, but I slept about sixteen hours." "I went to sleep about an hour after you did. Sleeping did help us.", replied River as she stretched.

Rose stood up and reached for the phone as she said, "Come to think of it, I think I'm just going to call up some more tea before I sleep some more. It might be a while before I am able to sleep like this again."

"Yes, just sleep Rose okay? I'll have this finished by tonight and we can continue." River went back to the table and resumed her work on the vortex manipulator. About six hours later River stood up and exclaimed, "Finally! It's fixed and improved!" Rose sat up quickly and alert, but still half-asleep; "Wh-What's going on?"

"Oops. Sorry sweetie." River said laughing, "I didn't mean to wake you."

Rose rubbed her eyes and mumbled, "It's alright, I've slept enough. So what's the vortex manipulator do now?"

River motioned Rose over and showed her. "Well, for starters this has been upgraded to the proper technology. Secondly, it now allows you to find anyone; except the Doctor. Well let me explain more clearly. Say you want to find me. All you would have to do is say 'Find Doctor River Song', and it will transport you as close as possible to me. I'm afraid that it won't be much use if you're searching for the Doctor using this. He moves around too much. There might be the possibility that you can find the TARDIS if he ever stays put for some time, but I can't guarantee that it will be the Doctor you're looking for. It has also been programed to provide you protection as you travel. Before I forget, I've also been asked to give you your own psychic paper since you'll be wandering alone for a while. Let's get dressed so we can get out of here. It is never wise to stay in one place for too long; especially you in this time period since you're supposed to be dead."

"Thank you for everything. River, do you have any idea where I can start looking for him?", Rose said to her new friend as she took the paper. River looked at Rose apologetically, "I'm sorry Rose. That's something that you will have to figure out for yourself."

She gave a determined nod and grabbed the clothing that had been set by River the night before and changed quickly. "Oh, before I forget! I was asked to give you this jacket as well.", River said, as she dug around her own pockets. After yet another moment, she pulled out a TARDIS blue leather jacket almost identical to the one Rose had worn nearly a decade ago. "It's been upgraded as well, since I know you can't carry luggage on your travels" added River. Rose took the jacket and looked at it, inside and out. "What's so special about it?", she asked in a confused tone. River replied grinning, "Just check the pockets!" Rose looked at her and and placed a hand in the pocket. She was unable to feel the bottom right away and decided to look with her eye instead. "Now this is what I call pockets!" she exclaimed. "It's very useful and it allows you to take whatever you need without weighing yourself down. I use mine all the time. Rose…-[_River looked down at her strange watch_]- I'm afraid this is where we have to part ways for the time being."

River hugged Rose tightly and said before stepping back, "It's been a pleasure meeting you. We will see each other again." Rose hugged her back and thanked her again for everything she had done. The curly-haired woman stepped back and smiled before punching in some coordinates into her own vortex manipulator. With one final nod, River vanished in a flash of blue light.

Rose sat back down in one of the empty chairs and put the sleeping gown into her pocket, along with the her sonic screwdriver, psychic paper, and phone. _Where do I go from here?_ _Who could possibly know where the Doctor is or where I can find him? JACK! _

"Find Captain Jack Harkness; alias 'The Face of Boe'" she said into the vortex manipulator that was now strapped to her wrist. It flashed brightly for a few moments while it searched the entirety of space and time. A few minutes later it flashed with the text: Captain Jack Harkess; alias 'The Face of Boe', has been located. YEAR: 93011; PLANET: Tlaxcalea." She pressed the button and disappeared.

-_scene break_-

The year was 93011 on the planet Tlaxcalea. The entire planet was in celebration as they celebrated the marriage of their loving Princess (and soon to be Empress) Iztaccíhuatl. Rose zapped into being, again in an alleyway; shielded from the celebrations. _If I were Jack, where would I be? Surely not flirting with the Princess? Of course, he would be there. Or at least nearby. _

Rose wandered around and noticed there were celebrations taking place due to the marriage of the planet's Princess. She continued walking until she found a local woman with a sweet face, "Excuse me. Where is the center of the celebration? I'm afraid I'm a little late. I'm one of the Princess' close friends, but I got held up with some personal things." _I hope the TARDIS' translation is still intact. _

"Yes yes, I will show you the way!", the woman said with a friendly smile. She took Rose's hand and led her through the crowd. Eventually they reached a large wall with some palace guards at the entrance. "Identification.?" the guard asked the two women who approached the gate. Rose pulled out her physic paper and hoped it worked. The guard looked at the paper and jumped into a proper salute. "Please. Please, come in your Highness." The woman looked at Rose and curtsied, "You never said you were a royal! You are most modest." Rose smiled at her and replied, "Please, none of that. Thank you for your help." Rose stepped forwards through the gates and the guard who let her in announced her arrival. "Presenting her Royal Highness; The Goddess Bad Wolf". Everyone within the palace walls stopped instantaneously. Whispers ran throughout the entire area- many said, '_She is just a legend!' _ while others said _'It was prophesied in the legend that she would appear only once on this planet in search of another immortal in our presence.' _. Rose stopped slightly shocked at what her psychic paper had said. She shook it off and began walking, scanning the area. At that moment she felt a light tap on her shoulder and turned around. "It is a great honor having you here my Goddess Bad Wolf. I did not realize my wedding celebrations would coincide with the prophecy of your arrival. How may I be of assistance?" said Princess Iztaccíhuatl. Rose was taken aback at the sheer beauty of the Princess of the planet Tlaxcalea. Her hair was black but shimmered in the golden sunlight while her soft olive colored skin emitted a glow. "Hello your Highness." Rose said before continuing, "I am wondering something. Has anyone by the name of Captain Jack Harkness been around here?"

The Princess stayed silent for a moment as she thought. She gave a sly smile and replied, "Yes, I believe I do know just the man you're referring to. Is he rather handsome?" Rose laughed, "That's the one! Where can I find him?" "Last time I saw was at the drinking area with a young man. Caused quite the scandal at first, but I reminded everyone that this is not the place to impede upon two people; which of course means anyone. My planet prides itself on welcoming everyone. We've been the host planet for refugees when wars across the stars break out. Would you like me take you to him, my Goddess?" "I appreciate your offer but I am sure I can find him. Thank you for your hospitality.", Rose replied; slightly in awe at the wisdom she could see this Princess had.

After her short conversation with the Princess, Rose began to walk. _Goddess Bad Wolf, a legend, a myth, a prophecy. What did I get myself into this time? _Eventually she reached the drinking area and spotted Jack in a seat flirting with not just one man, but two! _Some things never change_, Rose thought as she grinned. The two men looked up and saw her approaching them. The entire area went quiet and; as if choreographed, curtsied or bowed; all except Jack. "What are you fellas doing?" he asked as he got out of his seat and turned around. "R-Rose?!", he exclaimed and promptly fainted. She rushed over to him and nudged his shoulder; trying to prompt him to regain consciousness, "Jack?". A moment later, Jack opened his eyes and looked straight into Rose's eyes. "Rose!" He got up so quickly and picked Rose up that she was left breathless. Wh- Whe- What's going on?! Last I heard, you were back in Pete's World with the meta-crisis Doctor!". Rose's eyes lost their happy spark which caused Jack to realize he had unintentionally hit a soft spot. "Let's go talk. I secured a permanent private room here for my enjoyment at any time for helping get the Princess out of a tight spot with a rival prince on a different planet." Rose nodded as fresh memories flooded her mind once more. He ignored the two men he had been flirting with and took Rose's hand as he led her back to his room. Had it been any other occasion, he probably would have made some suggestive comment; jokingly of course, but this hardly seemed the time. They reached Jack's room; more like suite, and took a seat.

Jack remained silent and said in a soft voice, "...Rose… Rosie, do you want to talk about it?…" Rose hiccuped and sniffed, trying to stop herself from crying. The wounds were so fresh; it had only been a few days for her since the entire ordeal. Jack's heart seemed to break at seeing the pain one of his closest friends was in. He took her to the couch in the suite where he sat them down and pulled her towards him in a comforting hug. He was known for being a flirt, but ever since he had met Rose and the Doctor, he knew that his best place in Rose's life was as her best friend. He had always known that the Doctor and Rose cared for each other very deeply; so deep in fact that it was love. The next four hours were spent with Rose telling Jack of the ten years she was in Pete's World; the way she and John (the 'Meta-Crisis' Doctor) had tried to make it work, had almost had a family until something went wrong during the first trimester of the pregnancy. Nobody had known other than John, and the loss they went through strained their relationship to a breaking point. They had tried going back to the way things used to be, but in the end decided to behave like mature adults and opted for remaining close friends until the time was right; if ever. She told Jack how they had both worked for their version of Torchwood, the different things they had developed with her dad, including the inter-dimensional jumper/vortex manipulator. Jack listened intently with a pained heart at what Rose had gone through. She continued telling Jack about the ultimate war that had raged in Pete's World, how she had lost her entire family, John, and eventually the planet itself; how John and Pete had sacrificed themselves to get her to safety with the untested inter-dimensional vortex manipulator; and how she had met River. All Jack could do was hug her tightly and reassure her that she would find the Doctor and that he would help as much as he could.

They sat in silence for a while as Rose collected herself again. "Jack? Do you have any idea where I can find the Doctor?" Jack kept his arm around her and looked at her, "Rosie, I wish I could help more, but the only place I can think of that you're more likely to find him at in Wales, because of the rift. Well that, and its close to London. Anywhere between those two is your best shot I think. Do you still have your phone with you?" Rose nodded and she reached into her right pocket, "It's in here somewhe- here!" She pulled out; with some difficulty, her phone. Jack took it from her and put his number in her contacts which held very few numbers. "I've just put my phone number in. Call me if you ever need anything. My phone has been upgraded as well so anywhere, anytime. Call me and I'll answer, unless of course I've been dragged away into a jail cell, which actually happens often. Still, I'll do my best to stay out of trouble until we sort out your problem." She looked at Jack and once more appreciated that she had someone who knew her well enough so that she didn't have to say much. Someone who had been with her since the beginning of her time with the Doctor. Who would've thought that hanging in the middle of the London Blitz would have proved to be a good thing in the end? "So, Rosie, one question.", Jack said to her with his eyebrow raised. "What was that whole 'Goddess Bad Wolf' thing earlier today?"

Rose laughed, "I'm not sure really. It's what my psychic paper said, but apparently they've heard of me before. If I ev-. When I find the Doctor, I'll ask him about it."

Jack laugh but remained slightly more serious, "Do you think it has to do with the heart of the TARDIS? She always did like you." "That's certainly a possibility. Do ya think that I might be able to catch up to them if I try reaching out to her?", Rose asked suddenly. "That could work! Do you want to go to the outskirts of the town so you can leave without it attracting too much attention? The palace walls have been equipped to detect movement caused by things similar to vortex manipulators due to the Princess residing here." Jack said to her. They stood up and began walking out of the palace through a back entrance that was also guarded. Rose nodded as they walked and said in a lower voice, "Yeah, let's get outta here before I try anything. Do you want to come along with me and look for him?" Jack took one look at her, "I wish I could come with you but I'm needed back at Torchwood. I came for the wedding; since the Princess invited me. I'm still not sure how she managed to the invitation through to Torchwood. If you need anything though, just give me a call. If I don't answer, leave a message with Gwen or Ianto and they'll pass it on to me. If there ever comes the time when you're in danger, just say Bad Wolf. I'll know and I'll come as fast as possible."

Rose smiled at him and they gave each other a tight hug once they had entered deserted valley enclosed by trees about 15 minutes away from the palace. He stepped back as she smiled and closed her eyes. _'TARDIS, where are you? I'm here old girl. I'm back in my universe. Help me find you.'_, Rose though. Jack watched in awe as she suddenly emitted a golden glow that disappeared almost as fast as it had arrived. He blinked in surprise, _Maybe there's more to this 'Bad Wolf' story that we think. _At that moment, her vortex manipulator beeped and she opened her eyes. It read: Location: Angelsey, Wales. Year: 2022. _Okay, I guess that's where I should go!_, she thought.

"Jack, I think this is where I leave you. I'm going to try my luck in Angelsey. Wish me luck!", she exclaimed with a wide grin. He nodded back with a smile and watched. She took one final look at Jack and pressed the button. With a flash she was gone. He looked at the spot where she had just vanished and took his phone out. He looked at the number that had been placed into his phone at Torchwood. All he knew was that it was someone named River who knew Rose in the future. She refused to say anything more due to timelines. She had contacted him at Torchwood prior to his arrival at Tlaxcalea and told him to put the number into his phone and call as soon as Rose Tyler had gone in search of the Doctor. He pulled his phone out and dialed the number. After the third ring, someone picked up, "Has she left?", "Yes", he replied. "Good. Where did she go looking for him?", River asked him. Jack answered River and said, "She said that she would try her luck in Angelsey, Wales." There was a moment of silence as he heard the distinct sound of a pen on paper. "Perfect. Keep me posted." The line went dead. He assumed he would meet her one day, but who knew just how long that would be.

_-scene break-_

The Doctor was strolling along humming merrily to himself as he walked around Cardiff. It had been a while since he had refueled the TARDIS in the little rift located there, and since he was in the neighborhood, he decided to make a stop. After a few hours of strolling around Cardiff, he re-entered his TARDIS and made himself a cup of tea. It was in that moment that his tea-cup fell from the table as the TARDIS began to move of her own accord. "Wh- What are you doing?!", the Doctor exclaimed as he tried to maintain his balance while walking towards the console. He looked at the screen, ANGELSEY, WALES. 2022. "Where are you taking me this time?!" The TARDIS hummed as if laughing, "Okay. I see where you're taking me, but why?" Another hum came from the TARDIS as she suddenly stopped. He picked up his tea-cup from the floor and set it on one of the tables as he went towards the doors. He opened them and peeked outside. He had been placed on the coastal path near the Point Lynas Lighthouse and saw nothing but a beautiful green scenery. "Thank you old girl. This was just what I needed.", the Doctor exclaimed as he closed the TARDIS door and began walking downwards towards the coast at a slow and easy pace.

-_scene break-_

Rose Tyler zapped into being. She had never been to Angelsey before but had seen pictures of it. They did not do the location justice. It was breathtaking and stunning in its greenery and coastal views. She looked around; at eye-level, and wondered if her connection to the TARDIS had not really been established and if her vortex manipulator had simply set a random location for her to go to. She sighed and continued walking downwards as she admired her calming surroundings. About 20 paces down she stopped. There it was. After all this time she hardly dared to believe that the TARDIS was really there. Not too far off, the Doctor had begun to wander upwards as he examined the area surrounding the TARDIS. When he reached the top, he noticed that someone; a young blonde woman, was slowly approaching the TARDIS. _Alright, time to meddle with the locals again. _He began walking downwards towards the TARDIS, and ended up right behind the young woman. He didn't get too close though. The last thing he wanted was to scare her.

Rose stopped walking after a few moments. She turned around and was taken aback. Who was he? Why was he following her? The Doctor stopped as soon as she turned. They looked at each other in silence, each wondering what to say.

'Hel-" Rose began, just as the Doctor had begun, "G-". They stopped; The Doctor laughed softly as he looked at Rose directly in the eyes, causing her to blush. "I'm terribly sorry. Did I startle you?", he asked her in a soft voice. Something was tugging at his consciousness; he felt like he knew her, or would know her. It depended how one looked at these things. "No, you didn't.", she said with a smile. She was on high alert. Why was he following her? That was her question. The Doctor looked at this strange woman. A million questions were running through his head. Normally he didn't have many questions, but she had him going in circles. The last thing he wanted though was for her to pay too much attention to his TARDIS. "Would you like to accompany me to a cup of tea? I noticed a small café about a block from here.", he asked her with a smile. Rose smiled and nodded. She remained on high alert and placed her hands in her pockets, letting her arms rest as if they were regular pockets. Inside she felt something and realized it was a small laser pistol; enough to stun, but not kill. _Thank you, River!_ Her hand wrapped around it just in case, and they began walking. As they walked, the Doctor blinked and inhaled softly. _Why do I sense something...different about her? She isn't a regular human, yet she looks and sounds human. Her watch looks normal, but … I just can't put my finger on it… I'll have to ask her in a way that won't startle her. _

They arrived at the cafe and the Doctor opened the door so Rose could step through first. "Thank you", she said with a smile. They chose a small booth in the far corner after ordering their tea. Rose sat down first and watched as the strange man sat down directly in front of her_._ She looked at him carefully; his soft brown wavy hair; his outfit, slightly more appropriate for an 18th century Jane Austen novel. She blushed slightly when she realized that he was studying her with the same intensity.

_Who is this man?_

_-End Chapter-_

Well, there you have it! The 8th chapter! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! I think I made it a bit obvious which of the Doctor's regenerations Rose has found first, but still! Let me know!

Remember: A minimum of **10 reviews** if you want the next chapter! Cheers!


	9. Who Are You?

**Thanks to all who reviewed. Things have been a bit hectic on my end; getting sick, dealing with the nutty weather Wales has, oh and MEETING PAUL MCGANN, COLIN BAKER, SOPHIE ALDRED, and NICK BRIGGS! (oh and K-9 & some Daleks!) If you'd like to see pictures of that, just hop on over to my tumblr blog: .com. I was hugged by all of them and given a kiss on the cheek by Paul McGann, which admittedly has practically completed my fangirl experience. I've never been hugged or given a kiss on the cheek by my celebrity crush! :-P **

**I also met JK Rowling but I got really nervous. She signed my copy of "The Casual Vacancy" but sadly they didn't allow for posed photographs :( **

**In other news... the 10 reviews trickled in. I'm sorry but I feel the need to say the following: Demanding I update in the next day or something won't work. I have an academic life which takes priority over everything except my mum and cat. **

**Any who, here is Chapter 9 for all of you. I've included the last portion of Chapter 8 to help this story flow properly. Same as last time, reviews = chapter is published sooner since I know people are expecting it.**

** -**_**From previous chapter-  
**_

* * *

Rose Tyler zapped into being. She had never been to Angelsey before but had seen pictures of it. They did not do the location justice. It was breathtaking and stunning in its greenery and coastal views. She looked around; at eye-level, and wondered if her connection to the TARDIS had not really been established and if her vortex manipulator had simply set a random location for her to go to. She sighed and continued walking downwards as she admired her calming surroundings. About 20 paces down she stopped. There it was. After all this time she hardly dared to believe that the TARDIS was really there. Not too far off, the Doctor had begun to wander upwards as he examined the area surrounding the TARDIS. When he reached the top, he noticed that someone; a young blonde woman, was slowly approaching the TARDIS. Alright, time to meddle with the locals again. He began walking downwards towards the TARDIS, and ended up right behind the young woman. He didn't get too close though. The last thing he wanted was to scare her.

Rose stopped walking after a few moments. She turned around and was taken aback. Who was he? Why was he following her? The Doctor stopped as soon as she turned. They looked at each other in silence, each wondering what to say.

'Hel-" Rose began, just as the Doctor had begun, "G-". They stopped.

The Doctor laughed softly as he looked at Rose directly in the eyes, causing her to blush.

"I'm terribly sorry. Did I startle you?", he asked her in a soft voice.

Something was tugging at his consciousness; he felt like he knew her, or would know her. It depended how one looked at these things.

"No, you didn't.", she said with a smile.

She was on high alert. Why was he following her? That was her question. The Doctor looked at this strange woman. A million questions were running through his head. Normally he didn't have many questions, but she had him going in circles. The last thing he wanted though was for her to pay too much attention to his TARDIS.

"Would you like to accompany me to a cup of tea? I noticed a small café about a block from here.", he asked.

Rose smiled and nodded. She remained on high alert and placed her hands in her pockets, letting her arms rest as if they were regular pockets. Inside she felt something and realized it was a small laser pistol; enough to stun, but not kill. _Thank you, River!_ Her hand wrapped around it just in case, and they began walking.

As they walked, the Doctor blinked and inhaled softly. _Why do I sense something...different about her? She isn't a regular human, yet she looks and sounds human. Her watch looks normal, but … I just can't put my finger on it… I'll have to ask her in a way that won't startle her._

They arrived at the cafe and the Doctor opened the door so Rose could step through first. "Thank you", she said, smiling. They chose a small booth in the far corner after ordering their tea. Rose sat down first and watched as the strange man sat down directly in front of her. She looked at him carefully; his soft brown wavy hair; his outfit, slightly more appropriate for an 18th century Jane Austen novel. She blushed slightly when she realized that he was studying her with the same intensity.

_Who is this man?_

_** -End of section from previous chapter-  
**_

* * *

They sat in silence, and finally Rose cleared her throat, "Why were you following me?"

The Doctor was taken aback. _What can I possibly answer to that? I was following you because you were getting too close to my ship. Yes, that's a ship and I'm a Time-Lord from the planet Gallifrey._ She would probably run away. That, or try to put him into a psychiatric ward like Grace tried to do at first.

"I didn't mean to follow you, but you caught my eye. I travel and enjoy meeting new people, new friends.", he replied.

Rose grinned, "You're also a traveler? That's all I seem to be doing these days.. More places that I can count."

The Eighth Doctor stared intently at this woman, "Does someone as beautiful as you often travel alone?"

Rose felt a slight blush creeping up, _Why are you blushing?_ her mind seemed to ask. "No, I used to travel with someone but...well he & I got separated due to circumstances out of our control..."

He though, _Damn Rasillion.. She's spoken for._

The Doctor cleared his throat as he finished the last of his coffee, "Would you like to take a walk with me?"

She nodded and with that, finished her tea and the custard creme biscuits she had on her plate. Rose stood up and the Doctor followed but not before opening the door for her. They exited the 'Castle Bakery' and noticed that they were in close proximity to a castle open for viewing.

"Would you fancy taking a stroll in the castle?", he asked suddenly.

Rose grinned, "Yea!" It had been a long time since she had done something as normal as that.

He extended his arm for her and she hesitated for a moment before linking her arm with his. _There's something really familiar about him... He makes me feel so comfortable... There's only one person who can do that; well two_, she mentally corrected herself; as she thought of her Doctor and Jack, _I have to figure out who he is._

They began walking towards the castle and entered the reception area. Rose looked at the entrance fee and reached for her special pocket. It was only £2.50, nothing really. Before she could pull out the coins, the handsome stranger she was with pulled out a £10 pound note and handed it to the man at the counter, and with that led her through the entrance door.

They started walking around the castle and after a while, he felt a slight tugging within his mind, which was quickly pushed aside when the Doctor looked over at Rose. What was it about her that made him smile so much? With Grace, while she had been very sweet, she had ultimately remained just a friend, as it typically went.

With Rose however, it was a different feeling.

_Rasillion what is the matter with me? I've only known her for a few hours. Come to think of it, I don't even know her name. How can I figure out who she is without making obvious that is my intention?_, the Doctor began to think when he caught sight of Rose pulling out a very small but efficient looking green camera from within her pockets.

At first his thoughts surrounding the question of just how many things fit into those small pockets without her jacket looking bulgy, but gave a soft laugh when he saw that she was taking a photograph of herself with part of the castle in the background.

"Here, let me help," the Doctor said to her as he walked over to her where he extended his hand.

As she handed the camera over to him, his hand slowly enclosed on a small portion of her hand where they stayed like that for a bit. Had it been anyone else, the situation of utter silence, partial hand holding, and staring into each others eyes might have been slightly awkward. Strangely enough, this felt quite familiar. How could it though? They had never met.

Rose smiled softly and moved her hand after a few seconds and looked around. She found a small window which she crawled into as she looked at the Doctor with a grin.

"How about a picture here..." She began. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name..", she said to him from within the stone window.

The Doctor cleared his throat quickly and replied, "It's John. John Smith."

She smiled once more at him, but this time with a curious spark in her eyes, "I'm Rose. Rose Tyler."

The Doctor smiled at her and said, "Lovely name, 'Rose'! Right! You wanted a picture in there, correct?" and once Rose had nodded, he stepped back a few paces and shifted the camera until he had gotten the correct lightning.

"Ready?", and with that he took a picture that would have made a professional photographer appear rather foolish.

She saw the flash go off and after a moment, tried to figure out how to unbend her knees and get out of the tiny window without hitting anything.

_Smart move Rose. Getting into a small window without thinking how you'd get out ahead of time, _she thought.

The Doctor placed the camera inside one of his front pockets and went over where he asked, "Can I assist you? I don't want you to hit yourself against any of these stones."

Rose nodded apologetically, "Yes, please".

The Doctor smiled and placed one hand through the V shape her folded legs had created while wrapping the other around her waist. "Just wrap your arms around my head and lean in so you don't bump your head".

Rose felt yet another blush creep up as she was pressed against this handsome man who went by the name of John Smith. She thought, _What was it with John Smiths that attracted her? Well, granted, two of them weren't even named John Smith, but it was another one of their aliases._

She leaned her head into the soft dip between his shoulders and his chest and wrapped her arms around his neck. He lifted her without any struggles which slightly surprised Rose, but something occurred in that moment that shocked her. Surely, it couldn't be... Could it? Was it possible that her Doctor had regenerated AGAIN, but this time into someone who looked straight out of a Jane Austen novel? No... Yes? Well there was only one way to find out. By asking.

She had heard the district beat of two hearts. It was impossible to miss considering it had been her lullaby for so long. Rose lifted her head and stared into this man's eyes just as he did the same.

He leaned in slightly before pausing and kissed her forehead as he set her down. The Doctor silently cursed at himself for doing that so suddenly but that thought evaporated when he saw that she was smiling at him. She glanced at him slyly before walking through a hollow doorway and disappearing from view with a grin. He smiled and followed her inside. From there, they flirted innocently in a way that reminded Rose of a scene she had seen in the Disney film, "Beauty and the Beast".

Eventually they walked all around the castle and exited. They walked in silence, but again there was the strange feeling of familiarity. They ended up right back where they had first met; the green field going downhill with the TARDIS at the flat end. Rose felt the grass with her hands and was satisfied that it was dry, and eased down. The Doctor took a seat close to her and laid back, his head turned sideways, merely observing her.

"So... The one I traveled with... He reminds me a lot of you.. There's one thing that reminds me the most though..", Rose said slowly, unsure of which words to use.

The Doctor tried to ignore the slight jealousy he felt; _What is wrong with me?!,_ and replied, "What is it?"

Rose looked around for a moment and laid back, her head about half a meter away from his, "Well, his heartbeat... It's rather unique. When you were helping me out of the window, I heard yours, and it sounded like his..."

The Doctor's eyebrows came together, slightly confused as he thought, _Is her partner or friend, whichever it was, a Time Lord?! I didn't think there were others who interacted with humans the way I do._

"Rose, just answer yes or no", the Doctor said after a few minutes. He paused and chose his words carefully, "Do the words 'Time Lord' mean anything to you?"

Rose, who had chosen that moment to look up at the clear sky, twisted and sat up so fast that the Doctor was startled. She remained slightly twisted as she looked at him, "Yes."

"Rose, please tell me.. What was his name?", the Doctor asked.

She hesitated a moment and said, "He likes to be called 'The Doctor'..."

The Doctor stood up even faster and circled in the same spot before looking at her with sparkling eyes and a mixture of fascination and excitement in his voice.

"Now this can be bad or it can be good. Actually, it might be a bit of both. Mostly the latter. The bad will be that I will probably have to forget this until much later. Too complicated to properly explain right now but it's something that has already happened to me; twice actually. My first self meeting my other two selves and again meeting four of them again down the line. I can only assume you're from the future since I don't recall having ever traveled with you..."

The Doctor stopped speaking when he saw that Rose; who had momentarily gotten up, was sitting back down with her face covered.

_Is it really him? Which one is it? He hasn't met me yet.…_ She didn't know what was worse, not having found _her_ Doctor, the one that knew her or having found one of his past selves who didn't know her at all... Who didn't have the memories she had... The same feelings..

Rose felt a few tears escape her and after a moment felt a pair of soft hands slowly move her hands away from her face. Despite this, she kept her eyes closed and felt the tears being wiped away softly before she was engulfed those same warm arms. She hesitated a moment before wrapping her own arms around his waist.

The Doctor had taken a seat on the side of her, where she rested between his legs, and he smiled when he felt her wrapping her arms around him. They stayed like that for what seemed hours. In those moments, they understood why it had felt so familiar, especially for Rose. She hasn't felt that way since she had lost John, and came to realize that (almost always) it wouldn't matter what regeneration the Doctor was in. He was still the Doctor; her Doctor.

The Doctor on the other hand didn't know all those things and didn't make the same connections as she did, but he did understand something. This pink and yellow human was so significant in his life; however far along she had come in, that her timeline had familiarized itself with his without even realizing.

_Perhaps that's what the feeling in my mind was_, the Doctor thought as he held Rose in his arms, slowly and gently making small circles on her arm with his thumb.

Rose spoke softly to him after she adjusted her head to look at him, "Doctor, which er- form are you in?"

He looked down at her, "Good! I did tell you about regeneration then. I tend to forget to do that."

She laughed softly, sending pleasant vibrations throughout the Doctor's body. "Not really. You know I can't say too many details , but you told me the very moment you began regenerating. Not much of a warning."

His smile slightly faded in a dramatic fashion and he looked up for a moment and sighed before saying, "I apologize for that. To answer your question, I'm in my 8th 'form'. It wasn't too pleasant. I was in the TARDIS having a nice cuppa and when I left the TARDIS after the Master escaped the prison I had designed for him, I got shot. I regenerated inside a hospital morgue can you believe? I suppose in the Earth's timeline, it was the year 1999. I ended up dressing up in a costume I had found. I couldn't find my old clothes and this form was a bit more slender than my past form. Met Grace, took me forever to convince her I didn't need to go to the psychiatric ward of the hospital."

She laughed some more at his brief explanation of how he had regenerated and his excuse for the outfit he was wearing. "I was under the impression that the TARDIS had a large wardrobe. Why didn't you think of blending in some more with the crowd?"

The Doctor looked down at her and grinned, "I think I look rather dashing in this outfit though, wouldn't you agree? Kind of like Mr. Darcy."

Rose rolled her eyes slightly dramatic and giggled, "Yes Doctor. You look ravishing in your Jane Austen attire!..." She paused for a moment, "...Wait. Did you say Mr. Darcy? Surely not…."

"Surely not, what?", the Doctor asked her.

"She didn't base him off of you… did she?", Rose asked him

He smiled and pressed his lips to her forehead and stayed silent for a while.

"Would you believe me if I said she didn't?", he asked in a teasing voice.

Rose looked up at him after she moved her head again and looked at him.

"Okay, okay. She did base Mr. Darcy off of me when we met. Would you… I don't know… like to meet her?", the Doctor asked her.

Rose's eyes grew big and smiled wide.

"Yes! She's one of my favorite authors! I've already met Charles Dickens. It was … the first time you said I looked beautiful…", she trailed off.

"I'm going to meet Charles Dickens?! Was that really the first time I said that?", he suddenly asked. "I'm surprised I didn't say it straight away. You're the most beautiful being I've ever come across in all my years of traveling."

Rose did her traditional grin and looked down where their hands had come together without even realizing.

"Rose, will you… travel with me for a while? I can help you find your Doctor. I can't promise you anything. Sometimes it can be tricky. There are laws against this, but I might be able to be of some assistance. Normally I would avoid potentially messing ", the Doctor asked her, as he looked into her eyes and then away; as he realized she most likely wanted to be with his future self. He internally scoffed; getting jealous of himself. Now that was a first!

Rose leaned back a bit and studied his expressions changing quickly before landing on a smile that didn't reach his eyes, which appeared to have settled for a less than happy gleam.

She reached out towards his face with her free hand, "You are my Doctor. If I've learned anything from being with two of your regenerations, it's that regardless of what you look like, it's still you. Even if this version of you doesn't know all that has happened."

The Doctor looked at her and looked away.

She paused for a moment and gently nudged his face so that he was looking at her before continuing. "Accepting your offer of traveling with you isn't just because I want to find your future self. I'll find you/him, however you want to look at it, whenever I do. I'm just happy I found you; regardless of the regeneration you're in. Alright?"

Rose slowly lifted herself, gave him a soft kiss on the cheek and smiled. He nodded as he looked at her and smiled; a smile that reached his eyes this time. The Doctor placed his free hand on her cheek and once more, kissed her forehead.

"Come on Rose. Let's go meet Jane Austen, I'll try to land us sometime after 1800 but before 1812. She might remember me. She'll have finished editing her book by then but it won't get get published until 1813."

The Doctor released Rose fully as he stood up and shook his legs out. He extended his hand and helped Rose up. A moment later though, they tumbled down the small hill laughing. As they laughed, the Doctor realized that he had forgotten to keep his balance properly as he tried to help Rose up.

Rose had landed on the side of him and she placed a hand on his chest and said as she laughed, "Sorry for kinda landing on you."

The Doctor laughed and started getting up before stopping on all fours and looking at Rose who was directly below him. He paused for a moment before leaning in and softly pressing his lips against hers; a kiss she returned.

Rose was not expecting a kiss in the very least, but was slightly surprised that it felt no different from the kisses she had received from her Doctor and from John. Shortly after they kissed, they gasped as the tugging within their mind grew stronger.

"Rose, did you bond with my future self at some point? You don't have to give me details. I want to know why my mind is trying to connect with yours."

"Er- Yes. That, and it might also have something to do with the fact that I looked in the heart of the TARDIS.", she said.

The Doctor closed his eyes and tried to see why her timeline was so strongly linked to him. All he could see in a blur was a golden timeline that belonged to her twisting around all of his timeline; of all of his lives, including those that would happen.

He looked at her and smiled as he got up. This time he made sure he was standing properly before helping her up.

Once they were both on their feet, the Doctor extended his arm and Rose linked her arm through his.  
From there they walked happily towards the TARDIS.

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**-To be Continued? You; the reader, decide!- **

**QUESTION (reply in the review): Would you like me to continue this in this story or make it a spin-off and simply return to the story itself? The option that receives the most wins! x**

MESSAGE TO PRICKS OUT THERE:  
To the person who called me despicable for encouraging readers to leave reviews so I know people are actually reading this/enjoying it and/or to know what they want to me do with the next chapter is rather pathetic, especially since you made your review anonymous. Do you go around calling all the authors putting similar review requests "despicable"? Why don't you take a look in the mirror before doing that?


	10. Beach Adventures (Part 1)

**Thank you all so much for your wonderful reviews! I'd like to take the time to say that the reason there aren't a lot of dangerous adventures featured in this story is because it is Rose's story of how she came to find the Doctor. :) **

**Again, I don't own Doctor Who or it's characters. Anyone have a spare copy of David Tennant somewhere? I'll give you 1 million Galleons! **

**Enough of my talking, here is chapter 10 for all of you!  
**

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_**Chapter 10: Beach Adventures (Part 1) **_

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Rose had stopped talking at that moment and took the opportunity to take a deep breath as she met her Doctor's eyes. The Doctor was looking at her silently and was grinning widely as his memories of that particular meeting came rushing back to him.

Amy and River looked at both of them back and forth before saying to Rose with a hearty laugh, "So you two fell for each other _again_?"

Rose grinned at her, "It was kind of hard not to! The Doctor was such a romantic in his eighth form! I had thought that _his", _she signaled towards the Doctor sitting in front of her, "previous self had been a romantic! It was a very lovely experience overall. We visited Jane Austen. That alone was absolutely spectacular. We met her during a town ball. It was all in good fun. She didn't dance much, but when she did it was brilliant. I can see why she based parts of Elizabeth Bennett on herself. Of course the Doctor flirted with her a bit when he first met her which is where she ended up getting the basic ideas for Mr. Darcy along with his overall form. The second time we went to a ball, we had a lovely time. Miss Jane Austen couldn't go with us this time around. She was rather busy editing her novels and getting them published. He also took me to meet a much more modern author. You've heard of someone called JK Rowling right?!"

At those words, Amy & Rory gasped in unison, while Rory asked "Did you really meet her? And I mean, properly meet her; rather than just a 'hello' and 'goodbye' ?"

"Yes! It was excellent getting to meet her. She was really surprised when we accidentally landed in her sitting room, but eventually she figured she must have fallen asleep as she was finishing writing the last Harry Potter book. It was an interesting conversation. We couldn't visit Charles Dickens since that hadn't happened to him yet but it had happened to me already. However, we did go to a beautiful masquerade ball around the same time in Hungary. The TARDIS might have kept my dress from the occasion. I asked her to keep it until I found the 'right' Doctor."

The Doctor had been quiet as Amy, Rose, and River chatted excitedly as they all walked towards the TARDIS. Rory and Jack had given up listening to the more 'girly' talks Rose, River, and Amy were having. They had settled over talking about Rory's experience as a Roman and Jack's various experiences around the cosmos.

As they approached the TARDIS, the Doctor gasped, "Is my 8th self the reason you found me?"

"Sort of. Not really. Well, it's hard to explain just yet. Remember I spent quite some time without you? I ran into all of your past selves but I can't say too much just yet… Spoilers!", Rose said.

The Doctor exclaimed, "Oh no. River! Why did you teach her that word? You know I hate it… Spoilers."

River stopped at the door of the TARDIS with a grin spread wide across her face. She looked at the Doctor, "Sorry sweetie. It's just a laugh seeing how you get! Don't worry. The reason we can't say too much yet is because Rose agreed with...with someone to tell you the stories in a specific order to avoid you getting overwhelmed with memories that you locked away."

Rose pulled out her own journal as they stepped into the TARDIS. Her journal had the special key that had been designed by her Doctor during his ninth form, where she had recorded all of her adventures up to this point.

The Doctor had been quiet during the various exchanges between his companions and smiled when he saw the journal, "I see you're using it!"

Rose gave him her trademark grin and nodded before turning to River and saying, "What time do you and Jack have to be getting back to… you know?"

River opened her mouth to answer and closed it after a moment.

"Give me a moment to check something", she said as she flipped through pages in her journal.

She eventually reached the right page and said, "Soon. It has to be timed right. Eventually we'll make it to the point where the timelines are in unison. I have to go and see you-past you. Make sure everything is going okay."

River paused and looked at Jack, "Jack, do you want to come with me? I realize you don't know me too well at this point. I want to show you some events without us actually interacting-yet. There's something that you'll have to do."

Jack stopped talking to Rory and nodded. He stood up and gave a salute to the Doctor and Rory, followed by a tight hug to Rose and Amy.

Jack released the girls and looked towards the Doctor and Rory, "What do you all have planned for the rest of the day?"

The four of them looked at each other and shrugged.

"I dunno Jack," Rose said as she walked over to the Doctor as she placed her hand in his.

Amy thought for a moment before saying, "Can we go to a beach please? A private one though, where people are not likely to go?"

Rose's eyes grew wide as she embraced the idea, "Yes! Doctor, can we do that please?"

The Doctor smiled at her and nodded as Rory nodded in agreement.

He looked over at Jack and River and said, "Do you know when we can expect you both again?"

River looked at the Doctor for a moment and checked her journal. "I can't say exactly when but it won't be too long. I'll call Rose if I need a lift. As for Jack, I'll make sure to drop him off somewhere you can find him in the event he isn't with me at the time."

River went around and gave them all a tight hug and said, "Goodbye for now sweeties!"

She grabbed Jack's hand and with those words, they zapped out of the TARDIS.

"How-how did she do that?!", The Doctor asked. "Nobody is supposed to be able to come in and out of the TARDIS the way she did!"

Amy shook her head and laughed, "Doctor… its River. What did you expect? Well, Rory and I are going to go and get our bag ready. Does the TARDIS have swimsuits we can use?"

"Yes Amy, just follow the corridor and assuming she hasn't moved the wardrobes created for you lot, turn left and at the first passage turn right. If she has moved it, just ask politely and a door should pop up." he replied he started walking around the TARDIS's console.

The Doctor and Rose were left alone in the console room and when they realized they were alone, he pulled her into a tight hug. His arms went from her shoulders down to her waist where they wrapped around tightly. Rose returned the hug happily and wrapped her arms around his neck, breathing his scent in.

"Come. I want to show you something", he said into her ear as his hand crawled up her back before resting on her neck. He leaned in and kissed her softly before pulling back with a smile.

She grinned at him, "Okay! What is it?"

"I think you'll recognize it when we get there! Just come along", he said as he released her and instead wrapped his arm around her waist.

The Doctor led her along the corridors which went slightly up, slightly down, curving to the left and to the right. The TARDIS had knowingly put soft music and had dimmed the lights ever so slightly for her thief and her wolf. After about 15 minutes of walking in silence but in a loving embrace of sorts, they reached a set of doors that opened into a room.

He reached inside his pocket and pulled out an interesting looking key that had a rose engraved on it. He glanced over at her before approaching the doors. When they got a foot from the door, a key hole appeared. The Doctor inserted the key and turned it slowly before pulling it back out.

He pushed the doors open as he said to Rose, "Remember this?"

The sight that fell upon Rose made her eyes get slightly wet. "You kept this room?… My special room that you and the TARDIS designed for me?" she said softly as she entered.

The Doctor had designed this room for her many years ago; more than 50 years ago for her, during his ninth form. Just as he had a room where he went to when he was in the need for alone time, Rose had been given her own as well. It had the ability to transform itself into the type of scenery she needed.

He held her hand and gave her a kiss on the forehead, "Of course I kept it. It's one of the few rooms that weren't modified, altered, or deleted during my last regeneration…"

"Doctor… why was it locked?…", she asked him after a moment.

"Well… I didn't want anybody else using it when I… lost you. It's your room and yours only...", the Doctor said quietly.

Rose placed her hand on his cheek and she kissed him softly on the opposite cheek. "Thank you my love. We'll have to come in at some point. Let's go and get ready for the beach you agreed to take us to. Do you have any ideas yet?"

He stayed quiet for a moment before saying, "Yes! I know the perfect planet. As I've mentioned before, the human race expanded exponentially across the cosmos but there came the time where people began feeling nostalgic for their 'old' Earth. Remember New Earth? Well this planet is similar in idea but its dedicated to some of the best beaches. I went to Mexico once, lovely place. I ended up wandering around in a city called Guadalajara chasing a few aliens. After all that was done with, I found a beautiful beach there called Puerto Vallarta during my fifth regeneration."

He paused for a moment as he remembered that particular adventure fondly. There had been aliens trying to make profits, and while that wasn't illegal, the way they employed people was.

After a moment he continued, "Basically, this planet is an imitation of that beach and a few other beaches that were/are considered the best in the world, well on planet Earth. Everything a beach should be; soft sand, luscious sunlight, clear blue water that is always pleasantly warm. They perfected the planet in many ways. Pollution is almost nonexistent here since there are many organizations dedicated to keeping it beautiful. The water never gets cold. Its the perfect vacation spot for all types of people, and by people, I mean the various alien races in existence. They have private islands in addition to the beaches and because it's an entire planet, there's always space. I've never been there because I've not had reason to go. Would you like that, my Rose?"

"That'd be great Doctor. Thank you. I think we all need this trip. Amy and I were talking and she told me everything that has happened up to this point with her and Rory, what Rory went through.. How you would get sometimes... A vacation trip is just what we need. How long would we stay there?"

"As long as all of you want. I've got a time-machine after all!", he added with a wild grin. "This will be a different type of adventure for all of us."

After about an hour (according to Rose's watch), the four of them reassembled in the console room as the Doctor explained the plan to Rory and Amy.

"So what you're saying is that we get to go a beach resort that is an entire planet and stay as long as we want?!", Amy asked excitedly.

The Doctor placed his hands on Amy's shoulders as she moved around excitedly, "That is correct Pond! We can either get the suites or we can get a two cabins on an island. What would you like?"

Rory looked over at the girls and returned his gaze towards the Doctor before saying, "Personally, I like the idea of the private island with the two cabins. I'm assuming one cabin is for Amy and myself, while the other is for you and Rose?"

"Ooh our Doctor is growing up! A private cabin for him and Rose!", Amy said as she teased and poked the Doctor.

"Oi! I hate it when you treat me like a child Pond!", he pouted, and added as an afterthought, "we should probably get going. Everyone ready?"

When the three companions nodded, he set the coordinates and thought, _Please make sure we actually get there Sexy! I want to make Rose happy… and the Ponds of course. They really deserve this._

After a few shaky moments, everything grew still. Rose checked the screen monitor that let them see what was outside. She saw that they had landed in a small reception area. "I think we're here, unless we landed on a space station again."

"Well actually Rose, it's both. What they have as a system here is that you check in on the space station, get the secure coordinates for your location. If you don't have your own transportation system, you can take a shuttle down to your location on the planet. This takes a few minutes at the most. It's quite fast. We have the TARDIS so we just need the coordinates. It's sort of like a wifi password. It's just for safety precautions.", the Doctor answered.

They stepped outside and walked towards the reception desk. The Doctor approached the desk and was greeted, "Hello. May I see your identification please?"

He showed the young woman the psychic paper and after a moment, she said "Ah yes, Sir Doctor, Dame Rose, and Mr and Mrs Williams. We've been expecting you. The reservation was placed through your ship, correct? What accommodation would you like? "

The Doctor looked at his companions and said, "We would like the island with the two cabins."

She looked down at the screen in front of her, "Two cabins? Your ship put the reservation as the island with three cabins. It's a well sized island that provides easy access to all three cabins while maintaining a high level of privacy amongst each."

"Oh! Right! I forgot. Yes, that is fine" the Doctor replied, even though he was slightly confused.

A few minutes later, they walked back to the TARDIS with the cabin keys in hand and the coordinates. Rose felt her phone vibrate and saw that the caller ID said _River_, "Hi River!".

Amy, Rory and the Doctor rose their eyebrows as they saw Rose talking as she walked around the console. The Doctor shrugged it off and went and put the coordinates. _Sexy, did you make the reservations for us? Oh, and why the three cabins?_

The TARDIS replied, _Yes, I heard you speaking with my little wolf and I wanted to be helpful. Oh my thief, surely you can figure out why three cabins."_

_Are Jack and River coming? _, he asked.

_Why don't you ask my little wolf? I think she is just about done with her conversation with River. _

The Doctor looked at Rose who had stopped talking and was chatting pleasantly with Amy and Rory. "Rose, does River need us to pick her or Jack up?"

"No. Apparently they're on the island already. It's been 8 months for them since we last saw them.", she replied.

"What?! EIGHT months?! But it's only been a few hours for us!" he exclaimed.

"Yeah, well time works differently all around. 12 hours can be 12 months… 5 minutes can be 12 years… or two… The list goes on and on", Amy responded as Rose had a fit of giggles at the Doctor's expression.

"Let's just get going Doctor.", Rory replied as he tried to hide his laughter at the Doctor who was just standing there with an indignant look on his face.

Amy was the first to step outside of the TARDIS and sighed. It was beyond anything she had ever seen before. She had visited a few beaches during her life on Earth but nothing could accurately compare to what was in front of her. The sun was shimmering but did not burn. The sand was pleasantly cool and extremely soft. Even the rocks that decorated the sand were soft and smooth, without any jagged edges.

"Rose, come here!", she exclaimed as she ran out and saw the cabins not too far from where the TARDIS had landed. They were "old fashioned" in a way but looked quite modern.

The Doctor walked out of the TARDIS followed by Rory and said, "Why didn't I think of this before?"

Rory looked at the Doctor and said, "Maybe because Rose wasn't here…".

He looked at Rory and nodded, "I think it would have been hard to come alone when something this beautiful deserves to be shared with the ones we love… You spent 2,000 years without Amy and I spent what seemed an eternity without Rose."

Rory placed his hand on the Doctor's shoulder as a symbol of understanding before walking out of the TARDIS. He saw the Amy and Rose had already run over to the cabins where a third and fourth figure stood. As he and the Doctor approached them, he saw that it was none other than Jack and River, who had her arm interlinked with Jack's.

"I'm glad you all could make it! Leave your things in the cabins and change. I think it's time we all had fun with a game of beach volleyball. We have a few activities we would like to do with all of you before we set you free", River said to them as if she were a chaperone.

Amy walked over to Rory and pecked him before grabbing his hand and leading him towards the cabin that had a glowing plaque _Mr. Rory Williams & Mrs. Amy Williams_. "We won't be long", Rory told them as they began to walk away.

The Doctor imitated Amy and pecked Rose on the cheek, but instead scooped her up and said to River and Jack, "We'll go and get ready. I suggest you two do the same. And please, Jack behave. Her parents are here!"

"I can't promise anything", he replied as he winked at River. The Doctor and Rose looked at each other and burst out laughing as he carried her towards their cabin. Their plaque read, _Sir Doctor & Dame Rose. _

The Doctor opened the door relatively easy considering he had Rose in his arms. They went inside and looked at the cabin. It was slightly larger on the inside and was decorated in a soft blue color. The bed was heart shaped and had stars on the cover. The Doctor carried Rose to the bed and set her down gently before giving her a very sweet kiss on the lips.

"...I love you, my Rose.", he said to her when their kiss ended. "Let's get ready so we can beat the lot of them at volleyball. I don't know how to play but it can't be harder than football right?"

Rose laughed and said, "I haven't played volleyball in ages. The last time I played was with Shareen when we were maybe fourteen? What did you bring to wear?"

The Doctor winked at her, "That's for me to know and you to find out. How about you?"

She replied and returned the wink before approaching him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned in, teasing him with a would-be-kiss, "Like you said Doctor, its for me to know and you to find out. I should mention, the TARDIS has provided me with a different one for each day."

The Doctor had not been expecting that from Rose and as a result was left standing there for a few seconds in silence. When he came to, he realized that Rose had already gone to get changed in the large bathroom the cabin had provided. He laughed softly and went over to the bag the TARDIS had placed in his room. Inside were a pair of swim trunks, a simple TARDIS blue, a white towel, a pair of dark sunglasses and a pair of flip-flops.

He took the trunks and walked over to their room. _I can't believe I'm actually going to wear this… I haven't gotten wet on purpose in a long time, much less relax on a beach!_, he thought as he removed all the pieces of clothing he had except the dark boxers he had on. After a few minutes, he stepped out wearing a thin cotton shirt and the swim trunks. He noticed that Rose hadn't come out yet and decided to knock on the door to the bathroom.

"Rose, are you ready?", he asked as he knocked.

The doorknob began moving and Rose came out wearing a purple bikini that had white flowers scattered all around. On top of that, she was wearing a light see-through beach dress that hung loosely around her. On her shoulders was a lavender colored bag that contained her towel, some sunscreen lotion, and a deck of cards.

"You look beautiful Rose!", the Doctor exclaimed as he walked towards her. He picked her up and spun her around for a bit before saying, "We should go outside. I'm not sure how long we've taken."

She blushed slightly at his comment and nodded as she interlinked her hand with his.

"Let's go beat them at volleyball!", she said enthusiastically.

* * *

**Author's Note: **

**Chapters 11 & 12 are half-way done! I hope to have Chapter 11 up by the end of the week but I can't make any promises. I'm currently in Berlin, heading off to Brussels on Tuesday, Amsterdam on Thursday and then the Harry Potter Studio Tours on Saturday! **

**For those of you waiting on "The Adventures of Rose Tyler & the Doctor", fear not! The four chapters for that short story are in progress as well! **


	11. Beach Adventures (Part 2)

**Helloo my amazing and wonderful readers! I do hope you have all enjoyed "Unexpected Reunion" so far! THANK YOU for your fantastic reviews. They really keep me going since I know you lot like what I've written up to this point. I've enjoyed writing it even if my better ideas appear in the middle of the night when I have no means of writing it down. Still, I've found that all my time on Europe's public transportation has helped! I survived 18 hours from Venice to Berlin (by train), countless hours at five different airports during my spring break during which I listened to music, set the mood for my brain and wrote without interruptions! **

**Before I release this chapter into the wild, I want to apologize to any volleyball players/followers that might be reading this. I know absolutely nothing of the sport and even though I looked up terminology, I don't know the way they are used. I also want to apologize for the fact that the characters might seem slightly out of character. My response to this is that when I go to the beach, I behave differently from my usual. I'm more relaxed, more happy, a bit more immature if I'm having fun with friends. **

**Without further delay… **

**-throws Chapter 11 into the wild and hopes for the best-**

When they stepped outside, they saw that Jack and River were both ready and were in the middle of setting up their volleyball court. River was wearing a dark red bikini top with a flowing beach skirt that tied around her waist. Jack was wearing some white 'Hawaiian' styled beach shorts.

A few moments after the Doctor and Rose appeared, Amy and Rory stepped out. Rory was relaxed in his beach shorts which were a basic black. Amy was wearing dark sunglasses and a lilac bikini with some sports shorts.

"Ready to get your butts kicked boys?", she called out to them as she ran through the sand.

Rose laughed and went over to the beach volleyball court.

"Its been set up for us!", she exclaimed.

"Great! I didn't really want to spend time putting it up.", Jack laughed. He walked over towards Rose and gave her a tight hug as a pretext to whisper quickly to her, "Are you going to tell him after we finish with the games? It's the perfect place to do it. It might help trigger the memory faster! I don't pretend to _not_ know what happened but all the same, it's something very personal between you and the Doctor. I don't think it's for any of us to hear. I'm proud of you Rosie. You came really far. Oh, remember how River and I left; a few hours for you lot, apparently. Well, that's where I went."

Rose laughed and hugged him back; affection rushing through her. Sure they had flirted in the past but that's just who Jack was. He had known long before her that the Doctor was in love with her; even before the Doctor himself knew!

"I had wondered at the time why you appeared different! To answer your question, yeah. I'm planning on telling him when we finish with everything. It'll be wonderful; him finally remembering what he sadly stored away.

At that moment, River came from behind Jack, wrapping her arms around his muscular waist. She pecked him on the cheek and said teasingly, "Ready to loose?"

He placed his hands on hers and said to her over his shoulder, "You wish! Although I don't mind if it's to you…"

After a moment he winked at River and added in a lower voice, "You'll just be getting a prize."

"Oh god.. Jack! Not in front of me, please!", Rose said with a laugh as she looked at them. "I'm walking away now!" she said as she started to walk in the opposite direction with her ears covered.

"What did Jack do this time?", the Doctor asked her as she stepped into his waiting arms.

"Oh the usual. Made a comment that was inappropriate, what else?", she said grinning.

Amy and Rory looked over at the laughing couple and stayed quiet for a moment.

"Doctor, Rose… You both know that River is our daughter..", Rory began, as he looked at his wife and then back to the Doctor and Rose who were standing in front of him.

"Please answer this honestly. Uh.. Is she safe with Jack?", Rory asked them with a hint of worry in his voice. .

Rose gave the Pond's a soft smile before looking at the Doctor and nodding. He said to them, "Yes. I can't imagine anyone she would be safer with. I don't think Rose nor I have told you just how much we love Jack. Back during my ninth regeneration, well rather right before I regenerated into my 10th form, we were all sucked into a Space Station by the Daleks. They had separated us all into different floors of the Station and had attempted to kill us off. When Jack realized that it was most likely going to end in his death, he stated that Rose was worth dying for. He stayed and helped us. He risked his life. At the time he was mortal…"

Amy looked at the Doctor with a confused expression, "Was?"

He nodded at her, "When Rose became the Bad Wolf, she brought him back. Rose and I both agree with the statement that we trust Jack with our lives. He loves River, he really does. They're both time-travelers and I honestly have no idea how long they've been together. The Jack we met earlier; when we had gone out to the docks in Wales was towards the beginning of their relationship; slightly more in line with Rose's timeline. This Jack is from our future. His timeline is the same with River's and knowing him, he will find a way to save her from the library which was thought to be her last adventure. Although knowing River as I do, if Jack ever dies, I don't doubt that she will carry out that adventure as it was planned."

Rory nodded and gave the Doctor an appreciative smile, "Thanks Doctor. That puts any worries I had to rest. I suppose we should probably go and play some volleyball now?"

At that moment, River signaled out to them, "Come on! Let's play!"

Amy burst into laughter as they walked over, "I don't think I've ever seen her this relaxed or enthusiastic!"

"So, teams! How should we do this?", Rose asked them once they had come together.

Jack looked at them and said "Well, the easiest would be us men versus you ladies."

Amy, River, and Rose nodded and began grinning at each other as they took their spot on the court. They smartly chose the side that didn't have the sun shining in their face.

The Doctor, Rory, and Jack walked to the opposite side and looked at the girls they each loved dearly.

"I'm a bit scared", Jack said jokingly in a loud sing-song voice as he looked at River.

"I'm terrified!", Rory said as he looked at his daughter, wife, and Rose.

Jack and Rory looked at the Doctor, awaiting his commentary.

"I'm sorry Jack but I agree with Rory. These women are terrifying when they get competitive. Surely it doesn't surprise you with Rose, and you should know River enough. Where do you think she got it from?"

Jack grimaced and contemplated the chances of him dying yet again.

"Let's elect team captains and make our team names before starting!", Rose said with an energetic grin.

The three women discussed the matter for a few moments before deciding on River as their team captain and choosing the name "Fiery Wolves" as their team name. The fiery referred to their personalities while the wolf held a level of significance to each of them individually. Rose was _the_ Bad Wolf, River was a part of the TARDIS since she was created there and Amy since she was connected to River as her mother.

The men looked at each other as they saw who had been elected captain and what the women had chosen as their team name.

Before the Doctor could say anything, Jack and Rory said in unison, "Doctor! He's Team Captain!"

He shot them both a look, "traitors! You're basically throwing me to the girls!"

Rory grinned as Jack roared with laugher at the Doctor's expression, "That's the point. They'll be more likely to go after you rather than us. What should our team name be? I'm not that creative, neither is Jack. Any ideas Doctor?"

"Normally I am full of ideas but I can't think of anything, shockingly enough.", he replied in a defeated tone.

"Well… we all love the TARDIS, right?", Jack began. "What's the name you call her when you think you're alone Doctor?"

His ears turned red, "Sexy…"

Rory looked at the Doctor and at Jack, "How about Sexy's Warriors?"

The Doctor and Jack grinned at Rory, "Yes! That sounds great!"

When they had looked at the women again, they saw that they were already playing with the volleyball.

River took the volleyball and stood at one of the corners, "Let's get this game started!"

Amy and Rose both gave a whoop of delight and took their positions to which Rory, Jack, and the Doctor imitated.

"The game is won by whichever team reaches 50 points. Each score is worth 1 point. Agreed?", Jack asked them as he prepared himself.

They all nodded in agreement and with that acknowledgment, River served with such force, that it earned them the women their first point.

What started out as a fun game soon turned competitive. It turned out that even Rory was competitive, which caused the Doctor a lot of amusement. The men had kept the lead for about 10 points to 3 but their laughs evaporated when Amy destroyed them in a single serve. The three of them had pulled their hair up in tight pony-tails that kept their hair out of the way. It made them look even scarier.

After about 40 minutes, the Fiery Wolves and Sexy's Warriors were tied at 25 points. Rory had never felt so terrified when he struck down a ball so hard it smacked into Amy.

"Sorry!" he said, raising his hands in apology.

Jack accidentally chose to snicker at Rory at the incorrect time which caused him to miss the volleyball the Doctor had passed to him after Rose's powerful serve.

After almost two hours; including a 15 minute break, the game ended with the final score of 50 (Fiery Wolves) to a close 47 (Sexy's Warriors). The Doctor rarely emitted sweat but this game had proven to be so intense it caused it. Jack and Rory were half sitting, half laying on the beach as they rested. Rose, Amy and River were celebrating by dancing around to imaginary music.

It wasn't until they began walking towards the beach that they noticed that a small picnic had been set out for them. It was just the correct distance from the water, high enough where the water wasn't reaching them, but close enough that the sand wasn't completely loose. There was a note attached to all three baskets that said: _Courtesy of the Resort._

They all sat down and smiled appreciatively at the massive picnic that had been laid out for them. Jack heard his stomach growl and a few seconds later, Rory's stomach growled as if in response. Amy reached out and grabbed a sandwich and groaned in pleasure as she ate. Rose grabbed a few of the native strawberries and ate one before laughing at the Doctor who had leaned over in hopes of being fed one. River and Rory were laughing and eating some of the grapes in their respective baskets.

The Doctor had laid his head on Rose's laps as he ate his sandwich. None of them were exactly sure what was in the sandwiches. What they did know was that the sandwiches were good. As for the fruits, it was a variety of fruits they knew and some they didn't know. They were thankful the hotel had included plenty of water rather than sugary drinks. They were all aware that they each had a refrigerator in their cabins that replenished itself as needed but it was that time of day where none of them felt like walking up there just for water.

Rory had laid down on a towel with Amy laying vertical to him with her head on his stomach. They both had their eyes closed and were relaxing as they listened to the soft waves crashing and the breeze running through which made the overall temperature perfect.

River had her head on Jack's lap and was being kissed lightly on her eyelids, her cheeks, her forehead, her nose, and lips. One of his hands was wrapped around hers; his thumb making circles slowly on her skin. He was whispering things into her ear every so often which made River laugh softly.

After they had let their food settle, Amy grudgingly stood up and walked over to get one of the bigger beach blankets she had left near the court. When she returned, she extended it so she and Rory could lay on it and nap.

Rose mumbled to the Doctor who had his eyes closed as she stroked his hair, "Wanna take a walk?"

He opened an eye and smiled, "Yea! That'd be great! Give me a moment to shake my legs out."

As he was getting up, he gave Rose a quick kiss. River glanced over and saw that the Doctor and Rose were getting ready to walk.

"Jack, fancy a walk as well, but in the opposite direction?", she asked him.

Jack smiled and kissed her forehead as he gave her a slight push to help her get back up.

"Amy, Rory, we'll be back later. We're going for a walk around the island. If you need anything just blow that whistle I gave you. It's extremely loud.", the Doctor said.

"Doctor, we're going to take a walk as well but in the opposite direction.", River called out to him as she and Jack began walking towards the water.

He nodded and took Rose's hand as they began walking. When they had reached the water, he twirled Rose around so suddenly that she lost her balance and landed right into his arms. She laughed and kissed him sweetly before taking his hand and saying one word that meant so much to both of them, "Run!". They began running along the seashore, zig-zagging in and out of the water; racing towards the waves and running away from them when they approached.

They kept running through the waves and eventually slowed down to a light walk.

Rose said to the Doctor in a soft voice, "I met your previous self one additional time from those you remember… It was in a place much like this."

The Doctor stopped walking and looked at her curiously, "Really? Did you tell me to lock it away at the time?"

Rose nodded sadly, "Yes. You didn't want to but it was important you did. You see, for you, it was before my past self returned to you, during that ordeal with the Daleks, the twenty-seven planets, and such… For this me; present-me, it happened after I met your eighth self."

He smiled at her as he kissed her hand, "Is there a reason why you didn't want anyone else to hear?"

She grinned, "You'll see why…"

"Ohh! Is this going to be another one of those where I get to see the memory through your mind?", he asked.

"Well, yes. It involves you directly….", she said to him as she gave him a light peck on the cheek.

They kept walking for a bit and eventually sat down in the water, letting the waves hit their legs lazily.

Rose put her head on his shoulder and he put his head on hers. That slight touch was enough to get the memory going and together they sat, watching Rose's vivid memory of her encounter with the Tenth Doctor.

**-To Be Continued-  
Please Review :) Pretty please? :D x  
**


	12. Love Beyond All Others (Part 1)

**Hello everyone! I hope you've all been well. So I went to Cardiff for a weekend and saw about 30 locations where Doctor Who/Torchwood/Sarah Jane Adventures have filmed at :D Oh, and I met Jenna Louise Coleman! Before I present the next chapter to all of you, I'd like to say the following… In this story Ianto did NOT die. I saw the memorial wall in the Mermaid Quay at Cardiff Bay… kind of heartbreaking, even after all these years.**

**Here's chapter 12 for you! It was originally going to be one chapter but as I wrote it, it came out rather long. It will be split into three parts (they will also be posted on their own for those who don't want to read the entire story). **

**Please review! **

* * *

Rose sighed as she stepped into the waiting gate. Sure, she could have easily traveled through the more conventional method and just zap into being but Jack made her realize she needed a break. A simple chance at doing something normal. She looked down at her flight ticket and slightly grinned. Traveling first-class on a 10 hour flight… Of course Jack would do that for her. Although it had been ages since she had last seen him, they spoke often. Well, through a linear point of view, she had seen him the week before last but with all the 'roaming' she had been doing, it felt like years.

She hadn't seen River since their last meeting, prior to running into the 8th regeneration of the Doctor. She looked out of the window as she sipped her tea in the lounge. All the adventures they had shared. Rose felt like she had gotten to know him on a more emotional level, not to mention falling in love with him all over again. There was something about that daft old alien that kept her coming back.

Rose was brought back from the memories due to the voice that filled the lounge through the intercom: _Flight 2293 to London Heathrow will begin boarding in 30 minutes. First-class passengers please report to the gate door in 5 minutes for priority boarding. Thank you. _

'_Maybe I'll be able to sleep this time…', _Rose thought as she took a seat in one of the armchairs. As she looked through her 'bigger-on-the-inside' bag, a young man took a seat next to her.

"Excuse me miss", the young man said to her in a distinct accent. Rose looked up and saw a friendly looking face.

"Hello. You alright?", she said to him.

"Hello. Are you Miss Rose Tyler?", he asked her as he sat down next to her.

"Sorry mate, but why do you want to know?", she said tensing up slightly.

At that moment her phone rang. She glanced down at it and saw that the caller ID said: _Jack Harkness. _

"Give me a moment please", she said to the young man as she answered.

"Hi Jack. I'm getting ready to board the plane soon. Everything alright?"

"Rosie. If everything went according to plan, there is a handsome man next to you. Is this correct?", Jack said to her.

"Yeah! Wait. Is he one of yours?", she asked him.

"Give him a chance to introduce himself. I'll see you soon Rose. River and I will be at the airport. Wow. Never thought I'd say something like that. I'm so used to just zapping in and out of places. Have a safe trip.", Jack said to her as he hung up.

She put her phone in her pocket and looked at the young man next to her, "Are you one of Jack's friends?"

He grinned at her and extended his hand. "Ianto Jones, at your service. We haven't had the chance to properly meet yet but Jack speaks very highly of you."

Ianto paused for a moment before laughing, "He also said that you were jeopardy friendly. Of course, being friends with Jack does tend to do that."

She grinned back, "He wasn't wrong about that. Pleasure to meet you Mr. Jones."

"Please, call me Ianto.", he replied.

"Are you on this flight?", Rose asked.

"Yes. There's too many people that don't want you around Miss Tyler. Since you aren't using a _conventional_ method of travel that you and Jack tend to use, we took precautionary steps to ensure you have a relaxing and safe flight."

She was about to say something regarding not needing protection when she remembered what River had said to her the last time they had spoken, _We all need protection sometimes._

"Thank you Ianto, and please, call me Rose."

Ianto smiled widely and motioned that they should get up and go to the boarding door. Once the stewardess had checked their tickets, they took a seat in the spacious first class section of the airplane. Ironically enough, the seats were a TARDIS blue.

Rose and Ianto spoke for about four hours during the flight, after which Ianto convinced Rose she should extend her seat and make it into a bed so she could sleep.

"You have to sleep Rose. Otherwise Jack will kill me!", Ianto said to her after he noticed Rose wasn't sleeping.

She turned on her elbow to face him, "I'm trying. Honestly. I just can't stop thinking about him."

Ianto didn't need any hints as to who "him" was referring to, "Jack actually wanted to talk to you about that. He reckons he's found him. He isn't sure though if it's at the right point. There are a few things the Doctor has to live through, like the 27 planets ordeal, otherwise it'll change your future as well. Sleep. Please. I'll let you know when we're in London okay?"

Rose sighed and sipped some of the tea that the cabin crew had brought her, "I suppose you're right. I'm no good to anyone if I'm half-asleep."

**~*~*~**_**Back in Torchwood**_***~*~*~**

"She's on her way now", Jack said to the curly-haired woman in front of him.

River smiled at Jack, "Is it strange for you, having just seen Rose with the Doctor and now seeing her before she has the Doctor? She had told me about you being there at one point while she was searching but you didn't know at the time until I realized it's because I sent you. As the Doctor says 'wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey'. Take Rose to him. I trust you to come up with a plan to ensure they're alone and speak about everything that has happened. Rose needs this. She still has a long way to go."

Jack looked at the clock, _8:30AM_. "We should get going. Rose doesn't have any luggage thanks to the bag you gave her. She won't take long. Ianto is with her just to make sure everything goes smoothly. I don't fancy getting chucked into a supernova by your parent's best friend."

With those words, they linked hands and walked off before zapping out of Torchwood and into a special location set up at the London Heathrow Airport. It came in handy having agents at different points in the country.

***~*~**_**On the plane**_***~*~**

Rose awoke slowly as Ianto's voice drew clearer, "We're landing in about half an hour Rose.."

She opened her eyes and saw Ianto grinning at her. He was drinking some coffee and he beckoned her to the coffee that had been left for her.

"Mmkay. Thanks.", she said groggily. It had been ages since she had slept longer than 2 hours. Well, except with the Eighth Doctor, but that was different. Being on the TARDIS always enabled her to sleep comfortably.

After she drank the coffee, she noticed the small toothbrush and toothpaste that had been left by the airline and decided to wash up before they landed. About 20 minutes later, they landed in London safely much to their relief.

They walked out of the plane, stretching as they went. Once they had passed the 'arrivals' gate, they looked around for the familiar faces that were expecting them. Rose smiled when she saw Jack intensely focused on whatever River was saying.

"Should we try to surprise them?", Ianto said to her as he watched Jack and River. If any two people were perfect for each other; aside from the Doctor and Rose, it was these two. Half the time it seemed like they were in a contest to see who could be more flirtatious.

Rose nodded and they began walking within the crowd and started approaching the couple from behind.

"Ianto… on second thought. Maybe we shouldn't. River wouldn't hesitate to shoot if she thought Jack was in danger; granted he can't really die, but still. I don't think Jack would think twice either if it means keeping her safe.", Rose said as they walked.

Ianto stopped for a moment and grinned, "You're right! I think Jack would murder us. Let's just say a good old fashioned 'hello'."

As they approached Jack and River, they bumped into someone who was dressed quite peculiarly.

"So sorry", apologized the strange man as he walked off in a hurry while a young woman followed him. All they heard was something along the lines of "finding Bessie".

The pair of them looked at each other and burst out laughing, "Doesn't get much stranger than that! Did you catch a glimpse at the cape he was wearing?"

However, any thought of theater-esque capes was soon pushed out of their minds as Jack and River saw them. Jack went over and hugged Ianto tightly as River hugged Rose. Once they had all exchanged hugs and hellos, they walked off towards the teleportation area that had been set up for them by the undercover Torchwood agent at the airport.

Once they arrived in Torchwood, Ianto went off to make his famous coffee, leaving River and Jack to catch Rose up on what they had discovered.

"So Rosie, down to business. I think I found him. I managed to track down the TARDIS's signal but I'm not sure where he is in his timeline. We can go and find him. If it is after your second separation, then I can drop you off there. If not, we can stay for about twenty-four hours after which he will have to lock away the memories. Normally I'd say we stay longer considering it's a time machine but it's too close to our timelines. It might cause unwanted problems.", Jack said to her.

Rose looked at River questioningly, "Should we go and find him? I don't know if I can deal with leaving him again."

River smiled sadly at her as she glanced at Jack, "I know. How do you think I feel with Jack? The Jack you see here is actually from your future. The Jack that is along your timeline is away at the moment. I have to check continuously where I am with people, especially with you and Jack so I don't say too many spoilers. Just trust him. He knows what he's doing."

Jack placed his hand over River's hand and gave her a short but sweet kiss, "I'll be in touch River."

Rose turned around to give them a moment of privacy.

After a moment, River tapped her on the shoulder, "Best of luck Rose. I'll see you soon sweetie."

Ianto returned at that moment and set a cup of coffee down in front of River as he sat down as well.

Jack gave them both a mock salute and took Rose's hand as he set their coordinates on his vortex manipulator. A second later, they zapped out of Torchwood and zapped into a garden.

***~*~***_**England, 1926*~*~***_

"Jack! Look! There's the TARDIS!", Rose exclaimed.

She pulled out the key that was safely secured on her neck and ran to the TARDIS. Jack ran after her as she unlocked the door. They stepped inside and looked around only to find the TARDIS completely empty.

"Just enjoy your time with him okay Rosie? You'll find him, don't worry.", he said to her as they called out to the Doctor.

After a while, they ran into each other slightly panting from running around the TARDIS.

"Any luck?", Rose asked as she ran into Jack.

He shook his head, "Our best bet is to just wait for him to return from whatever they're doing. Let's go to the library and see what we can find!"

_Sexy, how is he…?, _Rose called out to the TARDIS.

_I'm so glad you returned my little wolf. He is better than when you left him thanks to Donna. She didn't attempt to take your place in his heart and instead became his best friend, as you already know. Go read and relax in the room upstairs_, the TARDIS replied to Rose.

"Jack, I'm going to go upstairs okay?", Rose said to him.

Jack's mind had already begun to devise a plan, "Rosie, how about we surprise the Doctor? Yea, go upstairs and don't come down yet. I'll come and get you."

She nodded at him, walked upstairs and took a seat on the long couch that had appeared. She looked at the book on the table in front of her and saw one of her favorite books there, _Pride and Prejudice._ About half an hour later, the TARDIS began to shake as she took off. Rose's book slipped off her face and fell to the floor with a light -thud- as she continued sleeping soundly. Unknowingly, the TARDIS had made the room soundproof... Downstairs Jack had made himself quite comfortable and eventually fell asleep.

***~*~***_**Some time later~*~*~***_

"DOCTOR!", yelled a loud voice. Jack jumped up, and grabbed his guns instinctively and pointed them at the voice.

"Oi! Don't you point those guns at me! DOCTOR! DOCTOR! HURRY YOUR SKINNY SELF IN HERE!", Donna yelled.

The Doctor came running into the library with such force that he skied across the floor before hitting a couch the TARDIS placed to break his run. He fell with a slight grunt as he tried to regain his balance. The Doctor looked at what Donna was pointing at and felt his jaw hit the floor.

"Hey Doc. It's been a while." Jack said to him putting his guns away, slightly red, as the Doctor stared at him in sheer shock.

"Jack!" the Doctor said, "How?"

"Long story Doc. I er- was in the neighborhood and saw the TARDIS. I asked her nicely to let me in and she did! I don't know how long I've been in here. I was reading and fell asleep."

"Let me go and steady the TARDIS so we can talk. Just keep Donna company and please behave!", the Doctor said as he walked off into the console room.

Jack waited until the Doctor was out of sight and started explaining to Donna that it wasn't just him on the TARDIS.

"You mean to say Rose Tyler is here too?! Why didn't you tell the Doctor?", Donna asked Jack quietly as they headed towards the kitchen.

"I want to surprise him but I need your help with this… Donna, has the Doctor been sad at times?", Jack asked her as he sat down in a chair.

Donna nodded and replied, "Yea, I don't know what to do at times. I asked the TARDIS for help but I didn't receive a response. I've walked past her room a few times and I've seen him go into it… We need to do something. What about Rose?"

Jack grimaced, "The thing is that Rose & I are from the future… There are certain things he can't know yet. You understand the thing with time right? How certain events have to happen while others can be changed? Right now is a moment that can be changed, for now. He won't have any recollection of having seen us until Rose finds the right version of the Doctor that coincides with her timeline and tells him about this. There is one thing we can do though…"

Donna nodded and grinned, "You mean a way we can get them together even if its just for today?"

He smiled at her, "I like the way you think Donna Noble!"

With that, they began planning out the perfect way they could get the Doctor and Rose to be alone and actually talk about their feelings; something neither had been able to do up until now.

~*~*_An hour later*~*~_

"Doctor?", Donna called out as they walked to the console room.

The Doctor looked up as he saw Jack and Donna approaching him, and Donna asked him "Doctor, can we go somewhere warm please? Like a beach? A proper beach."

He looked at Jack and then at Donna, "Why not? Any ideas Jack?"

Jack looked at him, "Lets go to an island! I want to swim with dolphins."

Donna grinned and motioned him to go.

"Right then, allons-y!", he said delightfully.

"Doctor let's rent out a motor boat. Just put a cloaking device on the TARDIS and relax properly. It's been ages since I've been in boat. Well the space ones don't really count…", Jack said as he began to trail off.

The Doctor set coordinates for an island matching Jack's description/requests and after a few shudders and shakes, landed the TARDIS.

"Let's have some fun! Oh for goodness sake, take that coat off!", Donna exclaimed as she saw the Doctor starting to walk out in his usual attire.

The Doctor glanced at Donna and grudgingly walked back into the TARDIS to switch up his clothing for something more appropriate. When he walked back out, they noticed he had traded in his usual suit for a simple white shirt with khaki trousers and sandals.

"Go ahead Doctor, I'll catch up with you and Donna. Just go to the resort I showed Donna on the map where you can swim with the dolphins. I have to change and make sure I let Torchwood know I'll be a while.", Jack said to the Doctor as he glanced quickly at Donna.

Donna and the Doctor began to walk through the island and came across the resort Jack had told her about.

"Doctor, have you ever gone swimming with dolphins but blindfolded? You know, letting the dolphin guide you?", Donna asked him as they approached the ticket office.

***~*~***_**Back on the TARDIS~*~*~***_

Jack stepped into the hidden TARDIS after making sure he wasn't followed and walked to the library.

"Rose!", he called out to her as he walked towards the room he had left her in.

"Jack! Sorry, fell asleep. Did the Doctor come back?", Rose asked him.

He avoided her question and instead asked her another question, "Do you trust me?"

She looked at him curiously and nodded, "Yea, of course I do!".

"Okay. Good. Then go and get into a bathing suit of your choice. The TARDIS will give you choices. Put something over it, a hat wouldn't be a bad idea. Meet me back in the console room when you're done. No questions!", Jack said to her grinning.

About fifteen minutes later, Rose stepped out in a light blue and red vintage bikini she found in the wardrobe with a white beach dress and a red hat rimmed with white.

Jack extended his hand to her, "Is it alright if I blind-fold you? I want to show you something but it's a surprise! Don't worry, it's something good."

"If it were anyone else, I would not agree to this but I'm trusting you", she replied as Jack placed a blindfold over her eyes.

"Just listen to my voice. I'll be guiding you to our final location.", Jack told her as he held her hand.

About twenty minutes later, Rose felt herself being guided into something that felt like a pool and came across something wet and breathing. As she ran her hands across the creature, she recognized it as a dolphin.

She felt Jack next to her and heard him whisper, "Just relax and let the dolphin guide you."

***~*~***_**On the other side of the pool*~*~***_

"Donna, what are we doing?", the Doctor asked.

He heard Donna sigh as he looked around in the darkness.

She said, "Just trust me alien boy. Don't move the blindfold and just enjoy yourself. I'll be on a dolphin as well!"

He sighed and grabbed onto the dolphin as he forced himself to relax. Donna's dolphin went over towards Jack's dolphin.

"Now we wait…", Donna said to Jack in a quiet voice.

They let their dolphins swim around as they laughed with the races their dolphins raced each other.

Rose felt herself gliding through the water slightly brushing up against someone. After a few more bumps she called out, "Jack? Is that you?"

She felt her dolphin swim away just as the Doctor felt around him, "Who is that? Donna, that's not you is it?

Unknowingly to the Doctor and Rose, the dolphins they were on had been trained to swim in an '8' shape, briefly touching. After the fourth time they made contact, the Doctor removed his blindfold and wiped the water from his face. At that same moment, the dolphin that kept brushing up next to him brought its passenger who also removed her blindfold. They stopped in shock and released their dolphins as they grinned in sheer delight. They spun in the water and saw that the dolphins that had brought them had risen up from the water and were clapping along with their trainers, Donna and Jack.

"Doctor?!", Rose exclaimed just as the Doctor said, "Rose?!"

* * *

_**Coming Soon: Part 2! **_


End file.
